1
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Tudi A, Yao M, Tang F, Zhou J, Li A, Gong H, Jiang T, Li X. Subregion preference in the long-range connectome of pyramidal neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex. BMC Biol 2024; 22:95. [PMID: 38679719 PMCID: PMC11057135 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01880-7] [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: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is involved in complex functions containing multiple types of neurons in distinct subregions with preferential roles. The pyramidal neurons had wide-range projections to cortical and subcortical regions with subregional preferences. Using a combination of viral tracing and fluorescence micro-optical sectioning tomography (fMOST) in transgenic mice, we systematically dissected the whole-brain connectomes of intratelencephalic (IT) and pyramidal tract (PT) neurons in four mPFC subregions. RESULTS IT and PT neurons of the same subregion projected to different target areas while receiving inputs from similar upstream regions with quantitative differences. IT and PT neurons all project to the amygdala and basal forebrain, but their axons target different subregions. Compared to subregions in the prelimbic area (PL) which have more connections with sensorimotor-related regions, the infralimbic area (ILA) has stronger connections with limbic regions. The connection pattern of the mPFC subregions along the anterior-posterior axis showed a corresponding topological pattern with the isocortex and amygdala but an opposite orientation correspondence with the thalamus. CONCLUSIONS By using transgenic mice and fMOST imaging, we obtained the subregional preference whole-brain connectomes of IT and pyramidal tract PT neurons in the mPFC four subregions. These results provide a comprehensive resource for directing research into the complex functions of the mPFC by offering anatomical dissections of the different subregions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayizuohere Tudi
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Mei Yao
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Feifang Tang
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Jiandong Zhou
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
| | - Anan Li
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China
| | - Hui Gong
- Britton Chance Center for Biomedical Photonics, Wuhan National Laboratory for Optoelectronics, MoE Key Laboratory for Biomedical Photonics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China.
| | - Xiangning Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Digital Medical Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou, China.
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2
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Poggi G, Klaus F, Pryce CR. Pathophysiology in cortico-amygdala circuits and excessive aversion processing: the role of oligodendrocytes and myelination. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae140. [PMID: 38712320 PMCID: PMC11073757 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress-related psychiatric illnesses, such as major depressive disorder, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder, present with alterations in emotional processing, including excessive processing of negative/aversive stimuli and events. The bidirectional human/primate brain circuit comprising anterior cingulate cortex and amygdala is of fundamental importance in processing emotional stimuli, and in rodents the medial prefrontal cortex-amygdala circuit is to some extent analogous in structure and function. Here, we assess the comparative evidence for: (i) Anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala bidirectional neural circuits as major contributors to aversive stimulus processing; (ii) Structural and functional changes in anterior cingulate cortex<->amygdala circuit associated with excessive aversion processing in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders, and in medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuit in rodent models of chronic stress-induced increased aversion reactivity; and (iii) Altered status of oligodendrocytes and their oligodendrocyte lineage cells and myelination in anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuits in stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders and stress models. The comparative evidence from humans and rodents is that their respective anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex<->amygdala circuits are integral to adaptive aversion processing. However, at the sub-regional level, the anterior cingulate/medial prefrontal cortex structure-function analogy is incomplete, and differences as well as similarities need to be taken into account. Structure-function imaging studies demonstrate that these neural circuits are altered in both human stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders and rodent models of stress-induced increased aversion processing. In both cases, the changes include altered white matter integrity, albeit the current evidence indicates that this is decreased in humans and increased in rodent models. At the cellular-molecular level, in both humans and rodents, the current evidence is that stress disorders do present with changes in oligodendrocyte lineage, oligodendrocytes and/or myelin in these neural circuits, but these changes are often discordant between and even within species. Nonetheless, by integrating the current comparative evidence, this review provides a timely insight into this field and should function to inform future studies-human, monkey and rodent-to ascertain whether or not the oligodendrocyte lineage and myelination are causally involved in the pathophysiology of stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Poggi
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Federica Klaus
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
- Desert-Pacific Mental Illness Research Education and Clinical Center, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Christopher R Pryce
- Preclinical Laboratory for Translational Research into Affective Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, CH-8008 Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- URPP Adaptive Brain Circuits in Development and Learning (AdaBD), University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. Neuron 2024:S0896-6273(24)00193-4. [PMID: 38614102 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2024.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and maladaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA; Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA; Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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4
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Silverstein SE, O'Sullivan R, Bukalo O, Pati D, Schaffer JA, Limoges A, Zsembik L, Yoshida T, O'Malley JJ, Paletzki RF, Lieberman AG, Nonaka M, Deisseroth K, Gerfen CR, Penzo MA, Kash TL, Holmes A. A distinct cortical code for socially learned threat. Nature 2024; 626:1066-1072. [PMID: 38326610 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-07008-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Animals can learn about sources of danger while minimizing their own risk by observing how others respond to threats. However, the distinct neural mechanisms by which threats are learned through social observation (known as observational fear learning1-4 (OFL)) to generate behavioural responses specific to such threats remain poorly understood. The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) performs several key functions that may underlie OFL, including processing of social information and disambiguation of threat cues5-11. Here we show that dmPFC is recruited and required for OFL in mice. Using cellular-resolution microendoscopic calcium imaging, we demonstrate that dmPFC neurons code for observational fear and do so in a manner that is distinct from direct experience. We find that dmPFC neuronal activity predicts upcoming switches between freezing and moving state elicited by threat. By combining neuronal circuit mapping, calcium imaging, electrophysiological recordings and optogenetics, we show that dmPFC projections to the midbrain periaqueductal grey (PAG) constrain observer freezing, and that amygdalar and hippocampal inputs to dmPFC opposingly modulate observer freezing. Together our findings reveal that dmPFC neurons compute a distinct code for observational fear and coordinate long-range neural circuits to select behavioural responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana E Silverstein
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Ruairi O'Sullivan
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Olena Bukalo
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dipanwita Pati
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Julia A Schaffer
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Leo Zsembik
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Takayuki Yoshida
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John J O'Malley
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Abby G Lieberman
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Mio Nonaka
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Mario A Penzo
- Unit on the Neurobiology of Affective Memory, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Thomas L Kash
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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5
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Masella G, Silva F, Corti E, Azkona G, Madeira MF, Tomé ÂR, Ferreira SG, Cunha RA, Duarte CB, Santos M. The amygdala NT3-TrkC pathway underlies inter-individual differences in fear extinction and related synaptic plasticity. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02412-z. [PMID: 38233468 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02412-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Fear-related pathologies are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions, having inappropriate learned fear and resistance to extinction as cardinal features. Exposure therapy represents a promising therapeutic approach, the efficiency of which depends on inter-individual variation in fear extinction learning, which neurobiological basis is unknown. We characterized a model of extinction learning, whereby fear-conditioned mice were categorized as extinction (EXT)-success or EXT-failure, according to their inherent ability to extinguish fear. In the lateral amygdala, GluN2A-containing NMDAR are required for LTP and stabilization of fear memories, while GluN2B-containing NMDAR are required for LTD and fear extinction. EXT-success mice showed attenuated LTP, strong LTD and higher levels of synaptic GluN2B, while EXT-failure mice showed strong LTP, no LTD and higher levels of synaptic GluN2A. Neurotrophin 3 (NT3) infusion in the lateral amygdala was sufficient to rescue extinction deficits in EXT-failure mice. Mechanistically, activation of tropomyosin receptor kinase C (TrkC) with NT3 in EXT-failure slices attenuated lateral amygdala LTP, in a GluN2B-dependent manner. Conversely, blocking endogenous NT3-TrkC signaling with TrkC-Fc chimera in EXT-success slices strengthened lateral amygdala LTP. Our data support a key role for the NT3-TrkC system in inter-individual differences in fear extinction in rodents, through modulation of amygdalar NMDAR composition and synaptic plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gianluca Masella
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Francisca Silva
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Elisa Corti
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Garikoitz Azkona
- Department of Basic Psychological Processes and Their Development, School of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Maria Francisca Madeira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ângelo R Tomé
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Samira G Ferreira
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Carlos B Duarte
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Mónica Santos
- CNC - Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
- Institute of Interdisciplinary Research, University of Coimbra (iiiUC), Coimbra, Portugal.
- Centre for Innovative Biomedicine and Biotechnology (CIBB), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
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6
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Munguba H, Gutzeit VA, Srivastava I, Kristt M, Singh A, Vijay A, Arefin A, Thukral S, Broichhagen J, Stujenske JM, Liston C, Levitz J. Projection-Targeted Photopharmacology Reveals Distinct Anxiolytic Roles for Presynaptic mGluR2 in Prefrontal- and Insula-Amygdala Synapses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.15.575699. [PMID: 38293136 PMCID: PMC10827048 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.15.575699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024]
Abstract
Dissecting how membrane receptors regulate neural circuit function is critical for deciphering basic principles of neuromodulation and mechanisms of therapeutic drug action. Classical pharmacological and genetic approaches are not well-equipped to untangle the roles of specific receptor populations, especially in long-range projections which coordinate communication between brain regions. Here we use viral tracing, electrophysiological, optogenetic, and photopharmacological approaches to determine how presynaptic metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 (mGluR2) activation in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) alters anxiety-related behavior. We find that mGluR2-expressing neurons from the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and posterior insular cortex (pIC) preferentially target distinct cell types and subregions of the BLA to regulate different forms of avoidant behavior. Using projection-specific photopharmacological activation, we find that mGluR2-mediated presynaptic inhibition of vmPFC-BLA, but not pIC-BLA, connections can produce long-lasting decreases in spatial avoidance. In contrast, presynaptic inhibition of pIC-BLA connections decreased social avoidance, novelty-induced hypophagia, and increased exploratory behavior without impairing working memory, establishing this projection as a novel target for the treatment of anxiety disorders. Overall, this work reveals new aspects of BLA neuromodulation with therapeutic implications while establishing a powerful approach for optical mapping of drug action via photopharmacology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermany Munguba
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Vanessa A. Gutzeit
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ipsit Srivastava
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Melanie Kristt
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ashna Singh
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Akshara Vijay
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anisul Arefin
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Sonal Thukral
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Johannes Broichhagen
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Joseph M. Stujenske
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, USA
| | - Conor Liston
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Joshua Levitz
- Department of Biochemistry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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7
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Wang H, Flores RJ, Yarur HE, Limoges A, Bravo-Rivera H, Casello SM, Loomba N, Enriquez-Traba J, Arenivar M, Wang Q, Ganley R, Ramakrishnan C, Fenno LE, Kim Y, Deisseroth K, Or G, Dong C, Hoon MA, Tian L, Tejeda HA. Prefrontal cortical dynorphin peptidergic transmission constrains threat-driven behavioral and network states. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.08.574700. [PMID: 38283686 PMCID: PMC10822088 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.08.574700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuits provide top-down control of threat reactivity. This includes ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) circuitry, which plays a role in suppressing fear-related behavioral states. Dynorphin (Dyn) has been implicated in mediating negative affect and mal-adaptive behaviors induced by severe threats and is expressed in limbic circuits, including the vmPFC. However, there is a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of how vmPFC Dyn-expressing neurons and Dyn transmission detect threats and regulate expression of defensive behaviors. Here, we demonstrate that Dyn cells are broadly activated by threats and release Dyn locally in the vmPFC to limit passive defensive behaviors. We further demonstrate that vmPFC Dyn-mediated signaling promotes a switch of vmPFC networks to a fear-related state. In conclusion, we reveal a previously unknown role of vmPFC Dyn neurons and Dyn neuropeptidergic transmission in suppressing defensive behaviors in response to threats via state-driven changes in vmPFC networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huikun Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodolfo J. Flores
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector E. Yarur
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Limoges
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Columbia University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Hector Bravo-Rivera
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sanne M. Casello
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Niharika Loomba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Juan Enriquez-Traba
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Miguel Arenivar
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Brown University - NIH Graduate Partnership Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Queenie Wang
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Robert Ganley
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Charu Ramakrishnan
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Lief E Fenno
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Current affiliation: Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Texas, Austin, Dell Medical School, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Yoon Kim
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Grace Or
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Chunyang Dong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Mark A. Hoon
- Molecular Genetics Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lin Tian
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA
- Max Planck Florida Institute for Neuroscience, Jupiter, FL, USA
| | - Hugo A. Tejeda
- Neuromodulation and Synaptic Integration Unit, National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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8
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Takasu K, Yawata Y, Tashima R, Aritomi H, Shimada S, Onodera T, Taishi T, Ogawa K. Distinct mechanisms of allopregnanolone and diazepam underlie neuronal oscillations and differential antidepressant effect. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 17:1274459. [PMID: 38259500 PMCID: PMC10800935 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1274459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid relief of depressive symptoms is a major medical requirement for effective treatments for major depressive disorder (MDD). A decrease in neuroactive steroids contributes to the pathophysiological mechanisms associated with the neurological symptoms of MDD. Zuranolone (SAGE-217), a neuroactive steroid that acts as a positive allosteric modulator of synaptic and extrasynaptic δ-subunit-containing GABAA receptors, has shown rapid-onset, clinically effective antidepressant action in patients with MDD or postpartum depression (PPD). Benzodiazepines, on the other hand, act as positive allosteric modulators of synaptic GABAA receptors but are not approved for the treatment of patients with MDD. It remains unclear how differences in molecular mechanisms contribute to the alleviation of depressive symptoms and the regulation of associated neuronal activity. Focusing on the antidepressant-like effects and neuronal activity of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), we conducted a head-to-head comparison study of the neuroactive steroid allopregnanolone and the benzodiazepine diazepam using a mouse social defeat stress (SDS) model. Allopregnanolone but not diazepam exhibited antidepressant-like effects in a social interaction test in SDS mice. This antidepressant-like effect of allopregnanolone was abolished in extrasynaptic GABAA receptor δ-subunit knockout mice (δko mice) subjected to the same SDS protocol. Regarding the neurophysiological mechanism associated with these antidepressant-like effects, allopregnanolone but not diazepam increased theta oscillation in the BLA of SDS mice. This increase did not occur in δko mice. Consistent with this, allopregnanolone potentiated tonic inhibition in BLA interneurons via δ-subunit-containing extrasynaptic GABAA receptors. Theta oscillation in the mPFC of SDS mice was also increased by allopregnanolone but not by diazepam. Finally, allopregnanolone but not diazepam increased frontal theta activity in electroencephalography recordings in naïve and SDS mice. Neuronal network alterations associated with MDD showed decreased frontal theta and beta activity in depressed SDS mice. These results demonstrated that, unlike benzodiazepines, neuroactive steroids increased theta oscillation in the BLA and mPFC through the activation of δ-subunit-containing GABAA receptors, and this change was associated with antidepressant-like effects in the SDS model. Our findings support the notion that the distinctive mechanism of neuroactive steroids may contribute to the rapid antidepressant effects in MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiko Takasu
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Yosuke Yawata
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Ryoichi Tashima
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | | | | | - Tsukasa Onodera
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Teruhiko Taishi
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
| | - Koichi Ogawa
- Laboratory for Drug Discovery and Disease Research, Shionogi Pharmaceutical Research Center, Shionogi & Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan
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9
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Borkar CD, Stelly CE, Fu X, Dorofeikova M, Le QSE, Vutukuri R, Vo C, Walker A, Basavanhalli S, Duong A, Bean E, Resendez A, Parker JG, Tasker JG, Fadok JP. Top-down control of flight by a non-canonical cortico-amygdala pathway. Nature 2024; 625:743-749. [PMID: 38233522 PMCID: PMC10878556 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06912-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
Survival requires the selection of appropriate behaviour in response to threats, and dysregulated defensive reactions are associated with psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress and panic disorder1. Threat-induced behaviours, including freezing and flight, are controlled by neuronal circuits in the central amygdala (CeA)2; however, the source of neuronal excitation of the CeA that contributes to high-intensity defensive responses is unknown. Here we used a combination of neuroanatomical mapping, in vivo calcium imaging, functional manipulations and electrophysiology to characterize a previously unknown projection from the dorsal peduncular (DP) prefrontal cortex to the CeA. DP-to-CeA neurons are glutamatergic and specifically target the medial CeA, the main amygdalar output nucleus mediating conditioned responses to threat. Using a behavioural paradigm that elicits both conditioned freezing and flight, we found that CeA-projecting DP neurons are activated by high-intensity threats in a context-dependent manner. Functional manipulations revealed that the DP-to-CeA pathway is necessary and sufficient for both avoidance behaviour and flight. Furthermore, we found that DP neurons synapse onto neurons within the medial CeA that project to midbrain flight centres. These results elucidate a non-canonical top-down pathway regulating defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chandrashekhar D Borkar
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Claire E Stelly
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Xin Fu
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Maria Dorofeikova
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Quan-Son Eric Le
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Rithvik Vutukuri
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Catherine Vo
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alex Walker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Samhita Basavanhalli
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Anh Duong
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Erin Bean
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Neuroscience Program, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Alexis Resendez
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jones G Parker
- Department of Neuroscience, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jeffrey G Tasker
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Jonathan P Fadok
- Department of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
- Tulane Brain Institute, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
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10
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Herry C, Jercog D. Stable coding of aversive associations in medial prefrontal populations. C R Biol 2023; 346:127-138. [PMID: 38116876 DOI: 10.5802/crbiol.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is at the core of numerous psychiatric conditions, including fear and anxiety-related disorders. Whereas an abundance of evidence suggests a crucial role of the mPFC in regulating fear behaviour, the precise role of the mPFC in this process is not yet entirely clear. While studies at the single-cell level have demonstrated the involvement of this area in various aspects of fear processing, such as the encoding of threat-related cues and fear expression, an increasingly prevalent idea in the systems neuroscience field is that populations of neurons are, in fact, the essential unit of computation in many integrative brain regions such as prefrontal areas. What mPFC neuronal populations represent when we face threats? To address this question, we performed electrophysiological single-unit population recordings in the dorsal mPFC while mice faced threat-predicting cues eliciting defensive behaviours, and performed pharmacological and optogenetic inactivations of this area and the amygdala. Our data indicated that the presence of threat-predicting cues induces a stable coding dynamics of internally driven representations in the dorsal mPFC, necessary to drive learned defensive behaviours. Moreover, these neural population representations primary reflect learned associations rather than specific defensive behaviours, and the construct of such representations relies on the functional integrity of the amygdala.
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11
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Yao D, Chen Y, Chen G. The role of pain modulation pathway and related brain regions in pain. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:899-914. [PMID: 37288945 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0037] [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: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Pain is a multifaceted process that encompasses unpleasant sensory and emotional experiences. The essence of the pain process is aversion, or perceived negative emotion. Central sensitization plays a significant role in initiating and perpetuating of chronic pain. Melzack proposed the concept of the "pain matrix", in which brain regions associated with pain form an interconnected network, rather than being controlled by a singular brain region. This review aims to investigate distinct brain regions involved in pain and their interconnections. In addition, it also sheds light on the reciprocal connectivity between the ascending and descending pathways that participate in pain modulation. We review the involvement of various brain areas during pain and focus on understanding the connections among them, which can contribute to a better understanding of pain mechanisms and provide opportunities for further research on therapies for improved pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Yao
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Yeru Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
| | - Gang Chen
- Department of Anesthesiology, School of Medicine, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing, Zhejiang, China
- Department of Anesthesiology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, China
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12
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Jing L, Ma C, Xu L, Richter-Levin G. Distinct Neural Representations and Cognitive Behaviors Attributable to Naturally Developed Active Avoidance or Reactive Escape Strategies in the Male Rat. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2023; 26:761-772. [PMID: 37725443 PMCID: PMC10674082 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyad054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The high individual variability in coping with stress is often attributed to genetic background differences, sustained environmental conditions, or a combination of both. However, the neural mechanisms underlying coping style variability are still poorly understood. METHODS Here we examined the impact of a single extended emotional challenge on coping style variability and the associated involvement of the hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and periaqueductal gray (PAG). Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 170) were trained in an extended 2-way shuttle avoidance (eTWSA) task for 7 days, and daily avoidance rates were measured. Forced swim test, elevated plus maze, or Morris water maze was tested before or after eTWSA exposure. Excitotoxic lesion of the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) was performed by Ibotenic infusion. Transient pharmacological blocking of DG, mPFC, or PAG was performed by muscimol or CNQX+TTX infusion. RESULTS Exposing rats to eTWSA was found to lead to naturally developing dichotomous, not continuous, coping styles, which we termed active avoidance (AA) or reactive escape (RE). Prior emotional responses did not predict the developing coping style. AA was associated with beneficial outcomes, including reduced behavioral despair and improved spatial learning. RE led to impaired spatial retrieval. AA was abolished by lesioning or pharmacological blocking of the DG. RE was prevented by blocking mPFC or PAG. CONCLUSION The results indicate that a single exposure to a significant emotional challenge can lead, in otherwise healthy individuals, to dichotomous development of an active or reactive coping style with distinctive neural correlates and subsequent behavioral significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Jing
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Israel
- The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chen Ma
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Lab of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Lin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms, Lab of Learning and Memory, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
- CAS Centre for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligent Technology, Shanghai, China
- Mental Health Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China
- KIZ-SU Joint Laboratory of Animal Model and Drug Development, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Gal Richter-Levin
- Sagol Department of Neurobiology, Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBR), University of Haifa, Israel
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13
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Adams TG, Kelmendi B, George JR, Forte J, Hubert TJJ, Wild H, Rippey CS, Pittenger C. Frontopolar multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation reduces conditioned fear reactivity during extinction training: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2023; 205:107825. [PMID: 37699439 PMCID: PMC10872945 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2023.107825] [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: 01/03/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Exposure-based therapies for anxiety and related disorders are believed to depend on fear extinction learning and corresponding changes in extinction circuitry. Frontopolar multifocal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been shown to improve therapeutic safety learning during in vivo exposure and may modulate functional connectivity of networks implicated in fear processing and inhibition. A pilot randomized controlled trial was completed to determine the effects of frontopolar tDCS on extinction learning and memory. Community volunteers (n = 35) completed a 3-day fear extinction paradigm with measurement of electrodermal activity. Participants were randomized (single-blind) to 20-min of sham (n = 17, 30 s. ramp in/out) or active (n = 18) frontopolar (anode over Fpz, 10-10 EEG) multifocal tDCS (20-min, 1.5 mA) prior to extinction training. Mixed ANOVAs revealed a significant group*trial effect on skin conductance response (SCR) to the conditioned stimulus (CS + ) during extinction training (p = 0.007, Cohen's d = 0.55). The effects of frontopolar tDCS were greatest during the first two extinction trials, suggesting that tDCS may have promoted fear inhibition prior to safety learning. Return of fear to the CS + during tests were comparable across conditions (ps > 0.50). These findings suggest that frontopolar tDCS may modulate the processing of threat cues and associated circuitry or promote the inhibition of fear. This has clear implications for the treatment of anxiety and related disorders with therapeutic exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas G Adams
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States.
| | - Benjamin Kelmendi
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States; Clinical Neuroscience Division of the National Center for PTSD, West Haven VA Medical Center, United States
| | - Jamilah R George
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States; Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, United States
| | - Jennifer Forte
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States; Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, United States
| | - Troy J J Hubert
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, United States
| | - Hannah Wild
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, United States
| | - Colton S Rippey
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, United States
| | - Christopher Pittenger
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, United States; Child Study Center, Yale University, United States; Department of Psychology, Center for Brain and Mind Health, Yale University, United States
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14
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Rich MT, Worobey SJ, Mankame S, Pang ZP, Swinford-Jackson SE, Pierce RC. Sex-dependent fear memory impairment in cocaine-sired rat offspring. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf6039. [PMID: 37851809 PMCID: PMC10584337 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf6039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration by male rats results in neuronal and behavioral alterations in offspring, including responses to cocaine. Given the high degree of overlap between the brain systems underlying the pathological responses to cocaine and stress, we examined whether sire cocaine taking would influence fear-associated behavioral effects in drug-naïve adult male and female progeny. Sire cocaine exposure had no effect on contextual fear conditioning or its extinction in either male or female offspring. During cued fear conditioning, freezing behavior was enhanced in female, but not male, cocaine-sired progeny. In contrast, male cocaine-sired progeny exhibited enhanced expression of cue-conditioned fear during extinction. Long-term potentiation (LTP) was robust in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), which encodes fear conditioning, of female offspring but was completely absent in male offspring of cocaine-exposed sires. Collectively, these results indicate that cued fear memory is enhanced in the male progeny of cocaine exposed sires, which also have BLA synaptic plasticity deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew T. Rich
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Samantha J. Worobey
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Sharvari Mankame
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
| | - Zhiping P. Pang
- Child Health Institute and Department of Neuroscience & Cell Biology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA
| | | | - R. Christopher Pierce
- Brain Health Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
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15
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Liu Y, Ye S, Li XN, Li WG. Memory Trace for Fear Extinction: Fragile yet Reinforceable. Neurosci Bull 2023:10.1007/s12264-023-01129-3. [PMID: 37812300 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01129-3] [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: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is a biological process in which learned fear behavior diminishes without anticipated reinforcement, allowing the organism to re-adapt to ever-changing situations. Based on the behavioral hypothesis that extinction is new learning and forms an extinction memory, this new memory is more readily forgettable than the original fear memory. The brain's cellular and synaptic traces underpinning this inherently fragile yet reinforceable extinction memory remain unclear. Intriguing questions are about the whereabouts of the engram neurons that emerged during extinction learning and how they constitute a dynamically evolving functional construct that works in concert to store and express the extinction memory. In this review, we discuss recent advances in the engram circuits and their neural connectivity plasticity for fear extinction, aiming to establish a conceptual framework for understanding the dynamic competition between fear and extinction memories in adaptive control of conditioned fear responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Liu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Shuai Ye
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Xin-Ni Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Wei-Guang Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and Ministry of Education Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Huashan Hospital, Institute for Translational Brain Research, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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16
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Sepahvand T, Power KD, Qin T, Yuan Q. The Basolateral Amygdala: The Core of a Network for Threat Conditioning, Extinction, and Second-Order Threat Conditioning. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1274. [PMID: 37886984 PMCID: PMC10604397 DOI: 10.3390/biology12101274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Threat conditioning, extinction, and second-order threat conditioning studied in animal models provide insight into the brain-based mechanisms of fear- and anxiety-related disorders and their treatment. Much attention has been paid to the role of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) in such processes, an overview of which is presented in this review. More recent evidence suggests that the BLA serves as the core of a greater network of structures in these forms of learning, including associative and sensory cortices. The BLA is importantly regulated by hippocampal and prefrontal inputs, as well as by the catecholaminergic neuromodulators, norepinephrine and dopamine, that may provide important prediction-error or learning signals for these forms of learning. The sensory cortices may be required for the long-term storage of threat memories. As such, future research may further investigate the potential of the sensory cortices for the long-term storage of extinction and second-order conditioning memories.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Qi Yuan
- Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, St John’s, NL A1B 3V6, Canada; (T.S.); (K.D.P.); (T.Q.)
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17
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Veres JM, Fekete Z, Müller K, Andrasi T, Rovira-Esteban L, Barabas B, Papp OI, Hajos N. Fear learning and aversive stimuli differentially change excitatory synaptic transmission in perisomatic inhibitory cells of the basal amygdala. Front Cell Neurosci 2023; 17:1120338. [PMID: 37731462 PMCID: PMC10507864 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2023.1120338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Inhibitory circuits in the basal amygdala (BA) have been shown to play a crucial role in associative fear learning. How the excitatory synaptic inputs received by BA GABAergic interneurons are influenced by memory formation, a network parameter that may contribute to learning processes, is still largely unknown. Here, we investigated the features of excitatory synaptic transmission received by the three types of perisomatic inhibitory interneurons upon cue-dependent fear conditioning and aversive stimulus and tone presentations without association. Acute slices were prepared from transgenic mice: one group received tone presentation only (conditioned stimulus, CS group), the second group was challenged by mild electrical shocks unpaired with the CS (unsigned unconditioned stimulus, unsigned US group) and the third group was presented with the CS paired with the US (signed US group). We found that excitatory synaptic inputs (miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents, mEPSCs) recorded in distinct interneuron types in the BA showed plastic changes with different patterns. Parvalbumin (PV) basket cells in the unsigned US and signed US group received mEPSCs with reduced amplitude and rate in comparison to the only CS group. Coupling the US and CS in the signed US group caused a slight increase in the amplitude of the events in comparison to the unsigned US group, where the association of CS and US does not take place. Excitatory synaptic inputs onto cholecystokinin (CCK) basket cells showed a markedly different change from PV basket cells in these behavioral paradigms: only the decay time was significantly faster in the unsigned US group compared to the only CS group, whereas the amplitude of mEPSCs increased in the signed US group compared to the only CS group. Excitatory synaptic inputs received by PV axo-axonic cells showed the least difference in the three behavioral paradigm: the only significant change was that the rate of mEPSCs increased in the signed US group when compared to the only CS group. These results collectively show that associative learning and aversive stimuli unpaired with CS cause different changes in excitatory synaptic transmission in BA perisomatic interneuron types, supporting the hypothesis that they play distinct roles in the BA network operations upon pain information processing and fear memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judit M. Veres
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Zsuzsanna Fekete
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Kinga Müller
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Tibor Andrasi
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Laura Rovira-Esteban
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Bence Barabas
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- János Szentágothai School of Neurosciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya I. Papp
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Norbert Hajos
- Laboratory of Network Neurophysiology, ELRN Institute of Experimental Medicine, Budapest, Hungary
- The Linda and Jack Gill Center for Molecular Bioscience, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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18
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López-Castro T, Martin L, Nickley S, Saraiya TC, Melara RD. Frontal Alpha Asymmetry in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Group Differences Among Individuals With and Without PTSD During an Inhibitory Control Task. Clin EEG Neurosci 2023; 54:472-482. [PMID: 34657474 PMCID: PMC9022109 DOI: 10.1177/15500594211046703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as a marker of approach- and avoidance-related prefrontal activity in participants with and without trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We investigated FAA in an inhibitory control paradigm (threatening vs nonthreatening cues) under 2 levels of cognitive demand (baseline: images constant within a block of trials; vs filtering: images varied randomly within a block) in 3 groups of participants: individuals with PTSD (n = 16), exposed to trauma but without PTSD (n = 14), and a control group without PTSD or trauma exposure (n = 15). Under low demand (baseline), both PTSD and trauma-exposed participants exhibited significantly greater relative left than right frontal brain activity (approach) to threatening than to nonthreatening images. Under high demand (filtering), no FAA differences were found between threatening and nonthreatening images, but PTSD participants revealed more relative left than right FAA, whereas trauma-exposed participants showed reduced left relative right FAA. In all conditions, healthy controls exhibited reduced left relative to right FAA and no differences between threatening and nonthreatening images. Study findings suggest dysfunctional prefrontal mechanisms of emotion regulation in PTSD, but adaptive prefrontal regulation in trauma-exposed individuals without PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa López-Castro
- Psychology Department, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10032
| | - Laura Martin
- George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA, 22030
| | - Sean Nickley
- Psychology Department, Long Island University, 1 University Plaza, H811, Brooklyn, NY 11201
| | - Tanya C. Saraiya
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC
| | - Robert D. Melara
- Psychology Department, The City College of New York, The City University of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10032
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19
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Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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20
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Senba E, Kami K. Exercise therapy for chronic pain: How does exercise change the limbic brain function? NEUROBIOLOGY OF PAIN (CAMBRIDGE, MASS.) 2023; 14:100143. [PMID: 38099274 PMCID: PMC10719519 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynpai.2023.100143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023]
Abstract
We are exposed to various external and internal threats which might hurt us. The role of taking flexible and appropriate actions against threats is played by "the limbic system" and at the heart of it there is the ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (brain reward system). Pain-related fear causes excessive excitation of amygdala, which in turn causes the suppression of medial prefrontal cortex, leading to chronification of pain. Since the limbic system of chronic pain patients is functionally impaired, they are maladaptive to their situations, unable to take goal-directed behavior and are easily caught by fear-avoidance thinking. We describe the neural mechanisms how exercise activates the brain reward system and enables chronic pain patients to take goal-directed behavior and overcome fear-avoidance thinking. A key to getting out from chronic pain state is to take advantage of the behavioral switching function of the basal nucleus of amygdala. We show that exercise activates positive neurons in this nucleus which project to the nucleus accumbens and promote reward behavior. We also describe fear conditioning and extinction are affected by exercise. In chronic pain patients, the fear response to pain is enhanced and the extinction of fear memories is impaired, so it is difficult to get out of "fear-avoidance thinking". Prolonged avoidance of movement and physical inactivity exacerbate pain and have detrimental effects on the musculoskeletal and cardiovascular systems. Based on the recent findings on multiple bran networks, we propose a well-balanced exercise prescription considering the adherence and pacing of exercise practice. We conclude that therapies targeting the mesocortico-limbic system, such as exercise therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, may become promising tools in the fight against chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emiko Senba
- Department of Physical Therapy, Osaka Yukioka College of Health Science, 1-1-41 Sojiji, Ibaraki-City, Osaka 567-0801, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
| | - Katsuya Kami
- Department of Rehabilitation, Wakayama Faculty of Health Care Sciences, Takarazuka University of Medical and Health Care, 2252 Nakanoshima, Wakayama City, Wakayama 640-8392, Japan
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, 811-1 Kimiidera, Wakayama City, Wakayama 641-8509, Japan
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21
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He YT, Zou JX, He Y, Wang CY, Pan BX, Pan HQ. Isolation of Projection-Specific and Behavior-Relevant Amygdala Circuit for RNA Sequencing. Curr Protoc 2023; 3:e858. [PMID: 37561726 DOI: 10.1002/cpz1.858] [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] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
One of the most sought-after topics in neuroscience is to understand how the environment regulates the activity and function of neural circuitry and subsequently influences relevant behaviors. In response to alterations in the environment, the neural circuits undergo adaptive changes ranging from gene expression changes to altered cellular function. Performing sequencing of the transcriptome involved in these behavior-related circuits will provide clues to accurately dissect the detailed mechanisms of related behavior. Here, we describe methods for marking and collecting the ventral hippocampus-projecting basolateral amygdala neurons, which have been repeatedly implicated in regulation of anxiety-like behavior, and subsequently constructing a library ready for sequencing. Specifically, the reported approaches include adeno-associated virus injection, acute brain slice isolation, cell suspension preparation, cell extraction, and cDNA library construction. By utilizing the techniques described here, researchers can comprehensively investigate the transcriptional levels of neural clusters embedded in particular circuits and discover potential pathogenic and therapeutic targets for behavior-relevant disorders. © 2023 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol 1: Tagging of behavior-related neural circuits Basic Protocol 2: Isolation and capture of fluorescent-positive cells Basic Protocol 3: Foundation of sequencing library.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting He
- Queen Mary School, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Jia-Xin Zou
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Department of Biological Science, School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Ye He
- Center for Medical Experiments, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chun-Yan Wang
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bing-Xing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Han-Qing Pan
- Laboratory of Fear and Anxiety Disorders, Institutes of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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22
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Huang Z, Chung M, Tao K, Watarai A, Wang MY, Ito H, Okuyama T. Ventromedial prefrontal neurons represent self-states shaped by vicarious fear in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3458. [PMID: 37400435 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39081-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Perception of fear induced by others in danger elicits complex vicarious fear responses and behavioral outputs. In rodents, observing a conspecific receive aversive stimuli leads to escape and freezing behavior. It remains unclear how these behavioral self-states in response to others in fear are neurophysiologically represented. Here, we assess such representations in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), an essential site for empathy, in an observational fear (OF) paradigm in male mice. We classify the observer mouse's stereotypic behaviors during OF using a machine-learning approach. Optogenetic inhibition of the vmPFC specifically disrupts OF-induced escape behavior. In vivo Ca2+ imaging reveals that vmPFC neural populations represent intermingled information of other- and self-states. Distinct subpopulations are activated and suppressed by others' fear responses, simultaneously representing self-freezing states. This mixed selectivity requires inputs from the anterior cingulate cortex and the basolateral amygdala to regulate OF-induced escape behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyan Huang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Myung Chung
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kentaro Tao
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Akiyuki Watarai
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mu-Yun Wang
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiroh Ito
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Teruhiro Okuyama
- Laboratory of Behavioral Neuroscience, Institute for Quantitative Biosciences (IQB), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
- Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
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23
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Teng SW, Wang XR, Du BW, Chen XL, Fu GZ, Liu YF, Xu SQ, Shuai JC, Chen ZY. Altered fear engram encoding underlying conditioned versus unconditioned stimulus-initiated memory updating. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf0284. [PMID: 37285430 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf0284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
It is known that post-retrieval extinction but not extinction alone could erase fear memory. However, whether the coding pattern of original fear engrams is remodeled or inhibited remains largely unclear. We found increased reactivation of engram cells in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala during memory updating. Moreover, conditioned stimulus- and unconditioned stimulus-initiated memory updating depends on the engram cell reactivation in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala, respectively. Last, we found that memory updating causes increased overlapping between fear and extinction cells, and the original fear engram encoding was altered during memory updating. Our data provide the first evidence to show the overlapping ensembles between fear and extinction cells and the functional reorganization of original engrams underlying conditioned stimulus- and unconditioned stimulus-initiated memory updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai-Wen Teng
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Rong Wang
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Bo-Wen Du
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Xiao-Lin Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Guan-Zhou Fu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Yun-Fei Liu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Shu-Qi Xu
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Jia-Chen Shuai
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
| | - Zhe-Yu Chen
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorders, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Qilu Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong 250012, P.R. China
- Institute of Brain Science, Shuguang Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, P.R. China
- Institution of Traditional Chinese Medicine Innovation Research, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250355, P.R. China
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24
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Binette AN, Liu J, Bayer H, Crayton KL, Melissari L, Sweck SO, Maren S. Parvalbumin-Positive Interneurons in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex Regulate Stress-Induced Fear Extinction Impairments in Male and Female Rats. J Neurosci 2023; 43:4162-4173. [PMID: 37127359 PMCID: PMC10255009 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1442-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress has profound effects on fear extinction, a form of learning that is essential to behavioral therapies for trauma-related and stressor-related disorders. Recent work reveals that acute footshock stress reduces medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity that is critical for extinction learning. Reductions in mPFC activity may be mediated by parvalbumin (PV)-containing interneurons via feedforward inhibition imposed by amygdala afferents. To test this hypothesis, footshock stress-induced Fos expression was characterized in PV+ and PV- neurons in the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortices. Footshock stress increased the proportion of PV+ cells expressing Fos in both male and female rats; this effect was more pronounced in IL compared with PL. To determine whether PV+ interneurons in the mPFC mediate stress-induced extinction impairments, we chemogenetically silenced these neurons before an immediate extinction procedure in PV-Cre rats. Clozapine-N-oxide (CNO) did not affect conditioned freezing during the extinction procedure. However, CNO exacerbated extinction retrieval in both male and female rats with relatively high PL expression of designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD). In contrast, in rats with relatively high IL DREADD expression, CNO produced a modest facilitation of extinction in the earliest retrieval trials, but in male rats only. Conversely, excitation of IL PV interneurons was sufficient to impair delayed extinction in both male and female rats. Finally, chemogenetic inhibition of IL-projecting amygdala neurons reduced the immediate extinction deficit in male, but not female rats. These results reveal that PV interneurons regulate extinction learning under stress in a sex-dependent manner, and this effect is mediated by amygdaloprefrontal projections.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Stress significantly impairs the memory of fear extinction, a type of learning that is central to behavioral therapies for trauma-based and anxiety-based disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder). Here we show that acute footshock stress recruits parvalbumin (PV) interneurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of male and female rats. Silencing mPFC PV interneurons or mPFC-projecting amygdala neurons during immediate extinction influenced extinction retrieval in a sex-dependent manner. This work highlights the role for PV-containing mPFC interneurons in stress-induced impairments in extinction learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annalise N Binette
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Jianfeng Liu
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Hugo Bayer
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Kennedi L Crayton
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Laila Melissari
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Samantha O Sweck
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
| | - Stephen Maren
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, and Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-3474
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25
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Zhao Z, Duek O, Seidemann R, Gordon C, Walsh C, Romaker E, Koller WN, Horvath M, Awasthi J, Wang Y, O'Brien E, Fichtenholtz H, Hampson M, Harpaz-Rotem I. Amygdala downregulation training using fMRI neurofeedback in post-traumatic stress disorder: a randomized, double-blind trial. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:177. [PMID: 37230984 PMCID: PMC10209552 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02467-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperactivation of amygdala is a neural marker for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and improvement in control over amygdala activity has been associated with treatment success in PTSD. In this randomized, double-blind clinical trial we evaluated the efficacy of a real-time fMRI neurofeedback intervention designed to train control over amygdala activity following trauma recall. Twenty-five patients with PTSD completed three sessions of neurofeedback training in which they attempted to downregulate the feedback signal after exposure to personalized trauma scripts. For subjects in the active experimental group (N = 14), the feedback signal was from a functionally localized region of their amygdala associated with trauma recall. For subjects in the control group (N = 11), yoked-sham feedback was provided. Changes in control over the amygdala and PTSD symptoms served as the primary and secondary outcome measurements, respectively. We found significantly greater improvements in control over amygdala activity in the active group than in the control group 30-days following the intervention. Both groups showed improvements in symptom scores, however the symptom reduction in the active group was not significantly greater than in the control group. Our finding of greater improvement in amygdala control suggests potential clinical application of neurofeedback in PTSD treatment. Thus, further development of amygdala neurofeedback training in PTSD treatment, including evaluation in larger samples, is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiying Zhao
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Or Duek
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Rebecca Seidemann
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Charles Gordon
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Christopher Walsh
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emma Romaker
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - William N Koller
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mark Horvath
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jitendra Awasthi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Yao Wang
- Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, University of Macau, Macau SAR, China
| | - Erin O'Brien
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Harlan Fichtenholtz
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Keene State College, Keene, NH, USA
| | - Michelle Hampson
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Child Study Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
- National Center for PTSD, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Psychology and Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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26
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Delavari F, Rafi H, Sandini C, Murray RJ, Latrèche C, Van De Ville D, Eliez S. Amygdala subdivisions exhibit aberrant whole-brain functional connectivity in relation to stress intolerance and psychotic symptoms in 22q11.2DS. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:145. [PMID: 37142582 PMCID: PMC10160125 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02458-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2022] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is a key region in emotional regulation, which is often impaired in psychosis. However, it is unclear if amygdala dysfunction directly contributes to psychosis, or whether it contributes to psychosis through symptoms of emotional dysregulation. We studied the functional connectivity of amygdala subdivisions in patients with 22q11.2DS, a known genetic model for psychosis susceptibility. We investigated how dysmaturation of each subdivision's connectivity contributes to positive psychotic symptoms and impaired tolerance to stress in deletion carriers. Longitudinally-repeated MRI scans from 105 patients with 22q11.2DS (64 at high-risk for psychosis and 37 with impaired tolerance to stress) and 120 healthy controls between the ages of 5 to 30 years were included. We calculated seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity for amygdalar subdivisions and employed a longitudinal multivariate approach to evaluate the developmental trajectory of functional connectivity across groups. Patients with 22q11.2DS presented a multivariate pattern of decreased basolateral amygdala (BLA)-frontal connectivity alongside increased BLA-hippocampal connectivity. Moreover, associations between developmental drops in centro-medial amygdala (CMA)-frontal connectivity to both impaired tolerance to stress and positive psychotic symptoms in deletion carriers were detected. Superficial amygdala hyperconnectivity to the striatum was revealed as a specific pattern arising in patients who develop mild to moderate positive psychotic symptoms. Overall, CMA-frontal dysconnectivity was found as a mutual neurobiological substrate in both impaired tolerance to stress and psychosis, suggesting a role in prodromal dysregulation of emotions in psychosis. While BLA dysconnectivity was found to be an early finding in patients with 22q11.2DS, which contributes to impaired tolerance to stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farnaz Delavari
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Halima Rafi
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Corrado Sandini
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Ryan J Murray
- Psychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Caren Latrèche
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Dimitri Van De Ville
- Neuro-X Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics, University of Geneva (UNIGE), Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
- Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, University of Geneva School of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
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27
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Kuga N, Nakayama R, Morikawa S, Yagishita H, Konno D, Shiozaki H, Honjoya N, Ikegaya Y, Sasaki T. Hippocampal sharp wave ripples underlie stress susceptibility in male mice. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2105. [PMID: 37080967 PMCID: PMC10119298 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37736-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The ventral hippocampus (vHC) is a core brain region for emotional memory. Here, we examined how the vHC regulates stress susceptibility from the level of gene expression to neuronal population dynamics in male mice. Transcriptome analysis of samples from stress-naïve mice revealed that intrinsic calbindin (Calb1) expression in the vHC is associated with susceptibility to social defeat stress. Mice with Calb1 gene knockdown in the vHC exhibited increased stress resilience and failed to show the increase in the poststress ventral hippocampal sharp wave ripple (SWR) rate. Poststress vHC SWRs triggered synchronous reactivation of stress memory-encoding neuronal ensembles and facilitated information transfer to the amygdala. Suppression of poststress vHC SWRs by real-time feedback stimulation or walking prevented social behavior deficits. Taken together, our results demonstrate that internal reactivation of memories of negative stressful episodes supported by ventral hippocampal SWRs serves as a crucial neurophysiological substrate for determining stress susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nahoko Kuga
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Ryota Nakayama
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Shota Morikawa
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Haruya Yagishita
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Daichi Konno
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Laboratory of Geriatric Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Hiromi Shiozaki
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Natsumi Honjoya
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan
| | - Yuji Ikegaya
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
- Center for Information and Neural Networks, 1-4 Yamadaoka, Suita City, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
- Institute for AI and Beyond, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan
| | - Takuya Sasaki
- Laboratory of Chemical Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033, Japan.
- Department of Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tohoku University, 6-3 Aramaki-Aoba, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, 980-8578, Japan.
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28
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Tavares GEB, Bianchi PC, Yokoyama TS, Palombo P, Cruz FC. INVOLVEMENT OF CORTICAL PROJECTIONS TO BASOLATERAL AMYGDALA IN CONTEXT-INDUCED REINSTATEMENT OF ETHANOL-SEEKING IN RATS. Behav Brain Res 2023; 448:114435. [PMID: 37044222 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Ethanol is the most consumed substance of abuse in the world, and its misuse may lead to the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). High relapse rates remain a relevant problem in the treatment of AUD. Exposure to environmental cues previously associated with ethanol intake could trigger ethanol-seeking behavior. However, the neural mechanisms involved in this phenomenon are not entirely clear. In this context, cortical projections to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) play a role in appetitive and aversive learned behaviors. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the activation of the cortical projections from the prelimbic (PL), orbitofrontal (OFC), and infralimbic (IL), to the BLA in the context-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking. Male Long-Evans rats were trained to self-administer 10% ethanol in Context A. Subsequently, lever pressing in the presence of the discrete cue was extinguished in Context B. After nine extinction sessions, rats underwent intracranial surgery for the unilateral injection of red fluorescent retrograde tracer into the BLA. The context-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking was assessed by re-exposing the rats to Context A or B under extinction conditions. Finally, we combined retrograde neuronal tracing with Fos to identify activated cortical inputs to BLA during the reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior. We found that PL, but not OFC or IL, retrogradely-labeled neurons from BLA presented increased Fos expression during the re-exposure to the ethanol-associated context, suggesting that PL projection to BLA is involved in the context-induced reinstatement of ethanol-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Paula Cristina Bianchi
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Thais Suemi Yokoyama
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Paola Palombo
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
| | - Fábio Cardoso Cruz
- Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
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29
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Ten-Blanco M, Flores Á, Cristino L, Pereda-Pérez I, Berrendero F. Targeting the orexin/hypocretin system for the treatment of neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases: from animal to clinical studies. Front Neuroendocrinol 2023; 69:101066. [PMID: 37015302 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2023.101066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/06/2023]
Abstract
Orexins (also known as hypocretins) are neuropeptides located exclusively in hypothalamic neurons that have extensive projections throughout the central nervous system and bind two different G protein-coupled receptors (OX1R and OX2R). Since its discovery in 1998, the orexin system has gained the interest of the scientific community as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of different pathological conditions. Considering previous basic science research, a dual orexin receptor antagonist, suvorexant, was the first orexin agent to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat insomnia. In this review, we discuss and update the main preclinical and human studies involving the orexin system with several psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. This system constitutes a nice example of how basic scientific research driven by curiosity can be the best route to the generation of new and powerful pharmacological treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Ten-Blanco
- Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - África Flores
- Pharmacology Unit, Department of Pathology and Experimental Therapeutics, Neurosciences Institute, University of Barcelona and Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, 08908 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Luigia Cristino
- Endocannabinoid Research Group, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry (ICB), National Research Council (CNR), Pozzuoli, Italy
| | - Inmaculada Pereda-Pérez
- Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Berrendero
- Faculty of Experimental Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Madrid, Spain.
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30
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Asim M, Wang H, Waris A. Altered neurotransmission in stress-induced depressive disorders: The underlying role of the amygdala in depression. Neuropeptides 2023; 98:102322. [PMID: 36702033 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2023.102322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Revised: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Depression is the second leading cause of disability in the world population, for which currently available pharmacological therapies either have poor efficacy or have some adverse effects. Accumulating evidence from clinical and preclinical studies demonstrates that the amygdala is critically implicated in depressive disorders, though the underlying pathogenesis mechanism needs further investigation. In this literature review, we overviewed depression and the key role of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and Glutamate neurotransmission in depression. Notably, we discussed a new cholecystokinin-dependent plastic changes mechanism under stress and a possible antidepressant response of cholecystokinin B receptor (CCKBR) antagonist. Moreover, we discussed the fundamental role of the amygdala in depression, to discuss and understand the pathophysiology of depression and the inclusive role of the amygdala in this devastating disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Asim
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong.
| | - Huajie Wang
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China; Department of Neuroscience, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong
| | - Abdul Waris
- Department of Biomedical science, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon Tong 0000, Hong Kong; City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen research institute, Shenzhen 518507, PR China
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31
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Hanganu-Opatz IL, Klausberger T, Sigurdsson T, Nieder A, Jacob SN, Bartos M, Sauer JF, Durstewitz D, Leibold C, Diester I. Resolving the prefrontal mechanisms of adaptive cognitive behaviors: A cross-species perspective. Neuron 2023; 111:1020-1036. [PMID: 37023708 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.03.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) enables a staggering variety of complex behaviors, such as planning actions, solving problems, and adapting to new situations according to external information and internal states. These higher-order abilities, collectively defined as adaptive cognitive behavior, require cellular ensembles that coordinate the tradeoff between the stability and flexibility of neural representations. While the mechanisms underlying the function of cellular ensembles are still unclear, recent experimental and theoretical studies suggest that temporal coordination dynamically binds prefrontal neurons into functional ensembles. A so far largely separate stream of research has investigated the prefrontal efferent and afferent connectivity. These two research streams have recently converged on the hypothesis that prefrontal connectivity patterns influence ensemble formation and the function of neurons within ensembles. Here, we propose a unitary concept that, leveraging a cross-species definition of prefrontal regions, explains how prefrontal ensembles adaptively regulate and efficiently coordinate multiple processes in distinct cognitive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ileana L Hanganu-Opatz
- Institute of Developmental Neurophysiology, Center for Molecular Neurobiology, Hamburg Center of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas Klausberger
- Center for Brain Research, Division of Cognitive Neurobiology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Torfi Sigurdsson
- Institute of Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Simon N Jacob
- Translational Neurotechnology Laboratory, Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Bartos
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Jonas-Frederic Sauer
- Institute for Physiology I, Medical Faculty, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Daniel Durstewitz
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health & Faculty of Physics and Astronomy, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Leibold
- Faculty of Biology, Bernstein Center Freiburg, BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Ilka Diester
- Optophysiology - Optogenetics and Neurophysiology, IMBIT // BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany.
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Kenna M, Marek R, Sah P. Insights into the encoding of memories through the circuitry of fear. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 80:102712. [PMID: 37003106 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2023.102712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Associative learning induces physical changes to a network of cells, known as the memory engram. Fear is widely used as a model to understand the circuit motifs that underpin associative memories. Recent advances suggest that the distinct circuitry engaged by different conditioned stimuli (e.g. tone vs. context) can provide insights into what information is being encoded in the fear engram. Moreover, as the fear memory matures, the circuitry engaged indicates how information is remodelled after learning and hints at potential mechanisms for consolidation. Finally, we propose that the consolidation of fear memories involves plasticity of engram cells through coordinated activity between brain regions, and the inherent characteristics of the circuitry may mediate this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Kenna
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Roger Marek
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Pankaj Sah
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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Venkataraman A, Dias BG. Expanding the canon: An inclusive neurobiology of thalamic and subthalamic fear circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 226:109380. [PMID: 36572176 PMCID: PMC9984284 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Appropriate expression of fear in the face of threats in the environment is essential for survival. The sustained expression of fear in the absence of threat signals is a central pathological feature of trauma- and anxiety-related disorders. Our understanding of the neural circuitry that controls fear inhibition coalesces around the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. By discussing thalamic and sub-thalamic influences on fear-related learning and expression in this review, we suggest a more inclusive neurobiological framework that expands our canonical view of fear. First, we visit how fear-related learning and expression is influenced by the aforementioned canonical brain regions. Next, we review emerging data that shed light on new roles for thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in fear-related learning and expression. Then, we highlight how these neuroanatomical hubs can modulate fear via integration of sensory and salient stimuli, gating information flow and calibrating behavioral responses, as well as maintaining and updating memory representations. Finally, we propose that the presence of this thalamic and sub-thalamic neuroanatomy in parallel with the tripartite prefrontal cortex-amygdala-hippocampus circuit allows for dynamic modulation of information based on interoceptive and exteroceptive signals. This article is part of the Special Issue on "Fear, Anxiety and PTSD".
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana Venkataraman
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Pharmacology, University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Brian George Dias
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.
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34
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Woodward E, Rangel-Barajas C, Ringland A, Logrip ML, Coutellier L. Sex-Specific Timelines for Adaptations of Prefrontal Parvalbumin Neurons in Response to Stress and Changes in Anxiety- and Depressive-Like Behaviors. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0300-22.2023. [PMID: 36808099 PMCID: PMC9997696 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0300-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2022] [Revised: 01/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Women are twice as likely as men to experience emotional dysregulation after stress, resulting in substantially higher psychopathology for equivalent lifetime stress exposure, yet the mechanisms underlying this vulnerability remain unknown. Studies suggest changes in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity as a potential contributor. Whether maladaptive changes in inhibitory interneurons participate in this process, and whether adaptations in response to stress differ between men and women, producing sex-specific changes in emotional behaviors and mPFC activity, remained undetermined. This study examined whether unpredictable chronic mild stress (UCMS) in mice differentially alters behavior and mPFC parvalbumin (PV) interneuron activity by sex, and whether the activity of these neurons drives sex-specific behavioral changes. Four weeks of UCMS increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors associated with FosB activation in mPFC PV neurons, particularly in females. After 8 weeks of UCMS, both sexes displayed these behavioral and neural changes. Chemogenetic activation of PV neurons in UCMS-exposed and nonstressed males induced significant changes in anxiety-like behaviors. Importantly, patch-clamp electrophysiology demonstrated altered excitability and basic neural properties on the same timeline as the emergence of behavioral effects: changes in females after 4 weeks and in males after 8 weeks of UCMS. These findings show, for the first time, that sex-specific changes in the excitability of prefrontal PV neurons parallel the emergence of anxiety-like behavior, revealing a potential novel mechanism underlying the enhanced vulnerability of females to stress-induced psychopathology and supporting further investigation of this neuronal population to identify new therapeutic targets for stress disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Woodward
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Claudia Rangel-Barajas
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Amanda Ringland
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Marian L Logrip
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - Laurence Coutellier
- Department of Neuroscience, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
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35
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Leppla CA, Keyes LR, Glober G, Matthews GA, Batra K, Jay M, Feng Y, Chen HS, Mills F, Delahanty J, Olson JM, Nieh EH, Namburi P, Wildes C, Wichmann R, Beyeler A, Kimchi EY, Tye KM. Thalamus sends information about arousal but not valence to the amygdala. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:477-499. [PMID: 36522481 PMCID: PMC9928937 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06284-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial geniculate nucleus of the thalamus (MGN) have both been shown to be necessary for the formation of associative learning. While the role that the BLA plays in this process has long been emphasized, the MGN has been less well-studied and surrounded by debate regarding whether the relay of sensory information is active or passive. OBJECTIVES We seek to understand the role the MGN has within the thalamoamgydala circuit in the formation of associative learning. METHODS Here, we use optogenetics and in vivo electrophysiological recordings to dissect the MGN-BLA circuit and explore the specific subpopulations for evidence of learning and synthesis of information that could impact downstream BLA encoding. We employ various machine learning techniques to investigate function within neural subpopulations. We introduce a novel method to investigate tonic changes across trial-by-trial structure, which offers an alternative approach to traditional trial-averaging techniques. RESULTS We find that the MGN appears to encode arousal but not valence, unlike the BLA which encodes for both. We find that the MGN and the BLA appear to react differently to expected and unexpected outcomes; the BLA biased responses toward reward prediction error and the MGN focused on anticipated punishment. We uncover evidence of tonic changes by visualizing changes across trials during inter-trial intervals (baseline epochs) for a subset of cells. CONCLUSION We conclude that the MGN-BLA projector population acts as both filter and transferer of information by relaying information about the salience of cues to the amygdala, but these signals are not valence-specified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris A Leppla
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Laurel R Keyes
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Gordon Glober
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Gillian A Matthews
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Kanha Batra
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Maya Jay
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Yu Feng
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Hannah S Chen
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Fergil Mills
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jeremy Delahanty
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Jacob M Olson
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Edward H Nieh
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Praneeth Namburi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Craig Wildes
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Romy Wichmann
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA
| | - Anna Beyeler
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Eyal Y Kimchi
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Kay M Tye
- The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA.
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- SNL-KT, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, 10010 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
- Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind, 10010 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA, 92037, USA.
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36
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Hartsock MJ, Brennan NA, Spencer RL. Circadian Rhythms in Fear Extinction Recall Depend on the Time of Day of Extinction Recall, Not the Time of Day of Extinction Learning. J Biol Rhythms 2023; 38:109-115. [PMID: 36281735 DOI: 10.1177/07487304221128161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The recall of conditioned fear extinction exhibits a circadian rhythm in humans and rodents, with optimal extinction recall occurring during the early active phase. However, it remains unclear whether this rhythm depends on the circadian modulation of mechanisms supporting memory consolidation versus memory maintenance and retrieval. Here, adult male rats underwent conditioned fear extinction at one of four times throughout the day and then, starting 24 h after extinction, were repeatedly tested for extinction recall over the next 24 h. Rats undergoing extinction learning during the early active phase tended toward accelerated extinction learning compared with rats in other groups, pointing to rhythms in mechanisms that support extinction memory encoding. The next day, the strength of extinction recall followed a 24-h cycle that depended not on the time of day of extinction learning but, instead, on the time of day of extinction recall. This latter finding indicates a rhythm in mechanisms supporting extinction memory maintenance and/or retrieval. Subsequent testing for fear relapse in the conditioning context suggested reduced fear in rats tested during the early active phase. These results lay the groundwork for mechanistic investigations of circadian rhythms in fear extinction memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Hartsock
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Nicholas A Brennan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Robert L Spencer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
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37
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Xu Z, Geron E, Pérez-Cuesta LM, Bai Y, Gan WB. Generalized extinction of fear memory depends on co-allocation of synaptic plasticity in dendrites. Nat Commun 2023; 14:503. [PMID: 36720872 PMCID: PMC9889816 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-35805-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Memories can be modified by new experience in a specific or generalized manner. Changes in synaptic connections are crucial for memory storage, but it remains unknown how synaptic changes associated with different memories are distributed within neuronal circuits and how such distributions affect specific or generalized modification by novel experience. Here we show that fear conditioning with two different auditory stimuli (CS) and footshocks (US) induces dendritic spine elimination mainly on different dendritic branches of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in the mouse motor cortex. Subsequent fear extinction causes CS-specific spine formation and extinction of freezing behavior. In contrast, spine elimination induced by fear conditioning with >2 different CS-USs often co-exists on the same dendritic branches. Fear extinction induces CS-nonspecific spine formation and generalized fear extinction. Moreover, activation of somatostatin-expressing interneurons increases the occurrence of spine elimination induced by different CS-USs on the same dendritic branches and facilitates the generalization of fear extinction. These findings suggest that specific or generalized modification of existing memories by new experience depends on whether synaptic changes induced by previous experiences are segregated or co-exist at the level of individual dendritic branches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiwei Xu
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Erez Geron
- Skirball Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Luis M Pérez-Cuesta
- Skirball Institute, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, 10016, USA
| | - Yang Bai
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Wen-Biao Gan
- Institute of Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders, Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, 518132, China.
- Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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38
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Shi P, Zhang MJ, Liu A, Yang CL, Yue JY, Hu R, Mao Y, Zhang Z, Wang W, Jin Y, Liang LS. Acid-sensing ion channel 1a in the central nucleus of the amygdala regulates anxiety-like behaviors in a mouse model of acute pain. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 15:1006125. [PMID: 36710934 PMCID: PMC9879607 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1006125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Pain is commonly comorbid with anxiety; however, the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the comorbid anxiety symptoms in pain (CASP) have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we explored the role of acid-sensing ion channel 1a (ASIC1a), located in GABAergic neurons from the central nucleus of the amygdala (GABACeA), in the regulation of CASP in an acute pain mouse model. We found that the mice displayed significant mechanical pain sensitization and anxiety-like behaviors one day post injection of complete Freud's adjuvant (CFA1D). Electrophysiological recordings from acute brain slices showed that the activity of GABACeA neurons increased in the CFA1D mice compared with that in the saline mice. In addition, chemogenetic inhibition of GABACeA neurons relieved mechanical pain sensitization and anxiety-like behaviors in the CFA1D mice. Interestingly, through pharmacological inhibition and genetic knockdown of ASIC1a in the central nucleus amygdala, we found that downregulation of ASIC1a relieved the hypersensitization of mechanical stimuli and alleviated anxiety-related behaviors, accompanied with reversing the hyperactivity of GABACeA neurons in the CFA 1D mice. In conclusion, our results provide novel insights that ASIC1a in GABACeA neurons regulates anxiety-like behaviors in a mouse model of acute pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Shi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Linyi People's Hospital, Shandong University, Jinan, China
| | - Ming-Jun Zhang
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - An Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Chen-Ling Yang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jia-Yin Yue
- Department of Endocrinology and Laboratory for Diabetes, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Rui Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (The First People’s Hospital of Hefei), Hefei, China
| | - Yu Mao
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Laboratory for Diabetes, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China,*Correspondence: Wei Wang, ✉
| | - Yan Jin
- Stroke Center and Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China,Yan Jin, ✉
| | - Li-Shuang Liang
- Department of Pain, Qi lu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China,Li-Shuang Liang, ✉
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Lokshina Y, Sheynin J, Vogt GS, Liberzon I. Fear Extinction Learning in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2023; 64:257-270. [PMID: 37535308 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2023_436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Impairments in fear extinction processes have been implicated in the genesis and maintenance of debilitating psychopathologies, including Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD, classified as a trauma- and stressor-related disorder, is characterized by four symptom clusters: intrusive recollections of trauma, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, alterations in cognition and mood, and hyperarousal. One of the key pathological feature associated with the persistence of these symptoms is impaired fear extinction, as delineated in multiple studies employing Pavlovian fear-conditioning paradigms. These paradigms, comprising fear acquisition, extinction, extinction recall, and fear renewal phases, have illuminated the neurobiological substrates of PTSD. Dysfunctions in the neural circuits that mediate these fear learning and extinction processes can result in failure to extinguish fear responses and retain extinction memory, giving rise to enduring experience of fear and anxiety. The protective avoidance behaviors observed in individuals with PTSD further exacerbate intrusive symptoms and pose challenges to effective treatment strategies. A comprehensive analysis of fear conditioning and extinction processes, along with the underlying neurobiology, could significantly enhance our understanding of PTSD pathophysiology. This chapter delineates the role of fear extinction processes in PTSD, investigates the underlying neurobiological substrates, and underscores the therapeutic implications, while also identifying future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yana Lokshina
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Jony Sheynin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
| | - Gregory S Vogt
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX, USA.
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
- Texas A&M Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
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Sex differences in fear responses: Neural circuits. Neuropharmacology 2023; 222:109298. [PMID: 36328063 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Women have increased vulnerability to PTSD and anxiety disorders compared to men. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of these disorders is critical for identifying risk factors and developing appropriate sex-specific interventions. Despite the clear clinical relevance of an examination of sex differences in fear responses, the vast majority of pre-clinical research on fear learning and memory formation has exclusively used male animals. This review highlights sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning, fear extinction and fear generalization with a focus on the neural circuits underlying these behaviors in rodents. There are mixed reports of behavioral sex differences in context and cued fear conditioning paradigms, which can depend upon the behavioral indices of fear. However, there is greater evidence of differential activation of the hippocampus, amygdalar nuclei and the prefrontal cortical regions in male and female rodents during context and cued fear conditioning. The bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), a sexually dimorphic structure, is of particular interest as it differentially contributes to fear responses in males and females. In addition, while the influence of the estrous cycle on different phases of fear conditioning is delineated, the clearest modulatory effect of estrogen is on fear extinction processes. Examining the variability in neural responses and behavior in both sexes should increase our understanding of how that variability contributes to the neurobiology of affective disorders. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, anxiety and PTSD'.
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Intrinsic Excitability in Layer IV-VI Anterior Insula to Basolateral Amygdala Projection Neurons Correlates with the Confidence of Taste Valence Encoding. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0302-22.2022. [PMID: 36635250 PMCID: PMC9850927 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0302-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Avoiding potentially harmful, and consuming safe food is crucial for the survival of living organisms. However, the perceived valence of sensory information can change following conflicting experiences. Pleasurability and aversiveness are two crucial parameters defining the perceived valence of a taste and can be impacted by novelty. Importantly, the ability of a given taste to serve as the conditioned stimulus (CS) in conditioned taste aversion (CTA) is dependent on its valence. Activity in anterior insula (aIC) Layer IV-VI pyramidal neurons projecting to the basolateral amygdala (BLA) is correlated with and necessary for CTA learning and retrieval, as well as the expression of neophobia toward novel tastants, but not learning taste familiarity. Yet, the cellular mechanisms underlying the updating of taste valence representation in this specific pathway are poorly understood. Here, using retrograde viral tracing and whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology in trained mice, we demonstrate that the intrinsic properties of deep-lying Layer IV-VI, but not superficial Layer I-III aIC-BLA neurons, are differentially modulated by both novelty and valence, reflecting the subjective predictability of taste valence arising from prior experience. These correlative changes in the profile of intrinsic properties of LIV-VI aIC-BLA neurons were detectable following both simple taste experiences, as well as following memory retrieval, extinction learning, and reinstatement.
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Thakre PP, Rana S, Benevides ES, Fuller DD. Targeting drug or gene delivery to the phrenic motoneuron pool. J Neurophysiol 2023; 129:144-158. [PMID: 36416447 PMCID: PMC9829468 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00432.2022] [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: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 11/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Phrenic motoneurons (PhrMNs) innervate diaphragm myofibers. Located in the ventral gray matter (lamina IX), PhrMNs form a column extending from approximately the third to sixth cervical spinal segment. Phrenic motor output and diaphragm activation are impaired in many neuromuscular diseases, and targeted delivery of drugs and/or genetic material to PhrMNs may have therapeutic application. Studies of phrenic motor control and/or neuroplasticity mechanisms also typically require targeting of PhrMNs with drugs, viral vectors, or tracers. The location of the phrenic motoneuron pool, however, poses a challenge. Selective PhrMN targeting is possible with molecules that move retrogradely upon uptake into phrenic axons subsequent to diaphragm or phrenic nerve delivery. However, nonspecific approaches that use intrathecal or intravenous delivery have considerably advanced the understanding of PhrMN control. New opportunities for targeted PhrMN gene expression may be possible with intersectional genetic methods. This article provides an overview of methods for targeting the phrenic motoneuron pool for studies of PhrMNs in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prajwal P Thakre
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sabhya Rana
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ethan S Benevides
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, Gainesville, Florida
| | - David D Fuller
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- McKnight Brain Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
- Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, Gainesville, Florida
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Smits JAJ, Monfils MH, Otto MW, Telch MJ, Shumake J, Feinstein JS, Khalsa SS, Cobb AR, Parsons EM, Long LJ, McSpadden B, Johnson D, Greenberg A. CO 2 reactivity as a biomarker of exposure-based therapy non-response: study protocol. BMC Psychiatry 2022; 22:831. [PMID: 36575425 PMCID: PMC9793569 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-04478-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure-based therapy is an effective first-line treatment for anxiety-, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders; however, many patients do not improve, resulting in prolonged suffering and poorly used resources. Basic research on fear extinction may inform the development of a biomarker for the selection of exposure-based therapy. Growing evidence links orexin system activity to deficits in fear extinction and we have demonstrated that reactivity to an inhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) challenge-a safe, affordable, and easy-to-implement procedure-can serve as a proxy for orexin system activity and predicts fear extinction deficits in rodents. Building upon this basic research, the goal for the proposed study is to validate CO2 reactivity as a biomarker of exposure-based therapy non-response. METHODS We will assess CO2 reactivity in 600 adults meeting criteria for one or more fear- or anxiety-related disorders prior to providing open exposure-based therapy. By incorporating CO2 reactivity into a multivariate model predicting treatment non-response that also includes reactivity to hyperventilation as well as a number of related predictor variables, we will establish the mechanistic specificity and the additive predictive utility of the potential CO2 reactivity biomarker. By developing models independently within two study sites (University of Texas at Austin and Boston University) and predicting the other site's data, we will validate that the results are likely to generalize to future clinical samples. DISCUSSION Representing a necessary stage in translating basic research, this investigation addresses an important public health issue by testing an accessible clinical assessment strategy that may lead to a more effective treatment selection (personalized medicine) for patients with anxiety- and fear-related disorders, and enhanced understanding of the mechanisms governing exposure-based therapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05467683 (20/07/2022).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasper A. J. Smits
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Marie-H. Monfils
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Michael W. Otto
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Michael J. Telch
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Jason Shumake
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Justin S. Feinstein
- grid.417423.70000 0004 0512 88633The Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 South Yale Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 USA
| | - Sahib S. Khalsa
- grid.417423.70000 0004 0512 88633The Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 South Yale Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma 74136 USA
| | - Adam R. Cobb
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA ,grid.259828.c0000 0001 2189 3475Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina and Ralph H. Johnson VAHCS, 67 President Street MSC 862, Charleston, SC 29425 USA
| | - E. Marie Parsons
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Laura J. Long
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02215 USA
| | - Bryan McSpadden
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - David Johnson
- grid.89336.370000 0004 1936 9924Department of Psychology and Institute for Mental Health Research, University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station, Austin, TX 78712 USA
| | - Alma Greenberg
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, 900 Commonwealth Avenue, Floor 2, Boston, MA 02215 USA
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Amygdala Intercalated Cells: Gate Keepers and Conveyors of Internal State to the Circuits of Emotion. J Neurosci 2022; 42:9098-9109. [PMID: 36639901 PMCID: PMC9761677 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1176-22.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Generating adaptive behavioral responses to emotionally salient stimuli requires evaluation of complex associations between multiple sensations, the surrounding context, and current internal state. Neural circuits within the amygdala parse this emotional information, undergo synaptic plasticity to reflect learned associations, and evoke appropriate responses through their projections to the brain regions orchestrating these behaviors. Information flow within the amygdala is regulated by the intercalated cells (ITCs), which are densely packed clusters of GABAergic neurons that encircle the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and provide contextually relevant feedforward inhibition of amygdala nuclei, including the central and BLA. Emerging studies have begun to delineate the unique contribution of each ITC cluster and establish ITCs as key loci of plasticity in emotional learning. In this review, we summarize the known connectivity and function of individual ITC clusters and explore how different neuromodulators conveying internal state act via ITC gates to shape emotionally motivated behavior. We propose that the behavioral state-dependent function of ITCs, their unique genetic profile, and rich expression of neuromodulator receptors make them potential therapeutic targets for disorders, such as anxiety, schizophrenia spectrum, and addiction.
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Hazra D, Yoshinaga S, Yoshida K, Takata N, Tanaka KF, Kubo KI, Nakajima K. Rhythmic activation of excitatory neurons in the mouse frontal cortex improves the prefrontal cortex-mediated cognitive function. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:5243-5258. [PMID: 35136976 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac011] [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: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays essential roles in cognitive processes. Previous studies have suggested the layer and the cell type-specific activation for cognitive enhancement. However, the mechanism by which a temporal pattern of activation affects cognitive function remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigated whether the specific activation of excitatory neurons in the superficial layers mainly in the PFC according to a rhythmic or nonrhythmic pattern could modulate the cognitive functions of normal mice. We used a C128S mutant of channelrhodopsin 2, a step function opsin, and administered two light illumination patterns: (i) alternating pulses of blue and yellow light for rhythmic activation or (ii) pulsed blue light only for nonrhythmic activation. Behavioral analyses were performed to compare the behavioral consequences of these two neural activation patterns. The alternating blue and yellow light pulses, but not the pulsed blue light only, significantly improved spatial working memory and social recognition without affecting motor activity or the anxiety level. These results suggest that the rhythmic, but not the nonrhythmic, activation could enhance cognitive functions. This study indicates that not only the population of neurons that are activated but also the pattern of activation plays a crucial role in the cognitive enhancement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debabrata Hazra
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yoshinaga
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Keitaro Yoshida
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Norio Takata
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Kenji F Tanaka
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
| | - Ken-Ichiro Kubo
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan.,Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo 105-8461, Japan
| | - Kazunori Nakajima
- Department of Anatomy, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo 160-8582, Japan
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Triana-Del Rio R, Ranade S, Guardado J, LeDoux J, Klann E, Shrestha P. The modulation of emotional and social behaviors by oxytocin signaling in limbic network. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:1002846. [PMID: 36466805 PMCID: PMC9714608 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.1002846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Neuropeptides can exert volume modulation in neuronal networks, which account for a well-calibrated and fine-tuned regulation that depends on the sensory and behavioral contexts. For example, oxytocin (OT) and oxytocin receptor (OTR) trigger a signaling pattern encompassing intracellular cascades, synaptic plasticity, gene expression, and network regulation, that together function to increase the signal-to-noise ratio for sensory-dependent stress/threat and social responses. Activation of OTRs in emotional circuits within the limbic forebrain is necessary to acquire stress/threat responses. When emotional memories are retrieved, OTR-expressing cells act as gatekeepers of the threat response choice/discrimination. OT signaling has also been implicated in modulating social-exposure elicited responses in the neural circuits within the limbic forebrain. In this review, we describe the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie the neuromodulation by OT, and how OT signaling in specific neural circuits and cell populations mediate stress/threat and social behaviors. OT and downstream signaling cascades are heavily implicated in neuropsychiatric disorders characterized by emotional and social dysregulation. Thus, a mechanistic understanding of downstream cellular effects of OT in relevant cell types and neural circuits can help design effective intervention techniques for a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sayali Ranade
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
| | - Jahel Guardado
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Joseph LeDoux
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Eric Klann
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Prerana Shrestha
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, School of Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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47
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An NTS-CeA projection modulates depression-like behaviors in a mouse model of chronic pain. Neurobiol Dis 2022; 174:105893. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
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Midorikawa M. Developmental and activity-dependent modulation of coupling distance between release site and Ca2+ channel. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:1037721. [DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.1037721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Synapses are junctions between a presynaptic neuron and a postsynaptic cell specialized for fast and precise information transfer. The presynaptic terminal secretes neurotransmitters via exocytosis of synaptic vesicles. Exocytosis is a tightly regulated reaction that occurs within a millisecond of the arrival of an action potential. One crucial parameter in determining the characteristics of the transmitter release kinetics is the coupling distance between the release site and the Ca2+ channel. Still, the technical limitations have hindered detailed analysis from addressing how the coupling distance is regulated depending on the development or activity of the synapse. However, recent technical advances in electrophysiology and imaging are unveiling their different configurations in different conditions. Here, I will summarize developmental- and activity-dependent changes in the coupling distances revealed by recent studies.
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Dynamic tripartite construct of interregional engram circuits underlies forgetting of extinction memory. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4077-4091. [PMID: 35804093 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01684-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fear extinction allows for adaptive control of learned fear responses but often fails, resulting in a renewal or spontaneous recovery of the extinguished fear, i.e., forgetting of the extinction memory readily occurs. Using an activity-dependent neuronal labeling strategy, we demonstrate that engram neurons for fear extinction memory are dynamically positioned in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), basolateral amygdala (BLA), and ventral hippocampus (vHPC), which constitute an engram construct in the term of directional engram synaptic connectivity from the BLA or vHPC to mPFC, but not that in the opposite direction, for retrieval of extinction memory. Fear renewal or spontaneous recovery switches the extinction engram construct from an accessible to inaccessible state, whereas additional extinction learning or optogenetic induction of long-term potentiation restores the directional engram connectivity and prevents the return of fear. Thus, the plasticity of engram construct underlies forgetting of extinction memory.
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50
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Skoven CS, Tomasevic L, Kvitsiani D, Pakkenberg B, Dyrby TB, Siebner HR. Dose-response relationship between the variables of unilateral optogenetic stimulation and transcallosal evoked responses in rat motor cortex. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:968839. [PMID: 36213739 PMCID: PMC9539969 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.968839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Efficient interhemispheric integration of neural activity between left and right primary motor cortex (M1) is critical for inter-limb motor control. We employed optogenetic stimulation to establish a framework for probing transcallosal M1–M1 interactions in rats. We performed optogenetic stimulation of excitatory neurons in right M1 of male Sprague-Dawley rats. We recorded the transcallosal evoked potential in contralateral left M1 via chronically implanted electrodes. Recordings were performed under anesthesia combination of dexmedetomidine and a low concentration of isoflurane. We systematically varied the stimulation intensity and duration to characterize the relationship between stimulation parameters in right M1 and the characteristics of the evoked intracortical potentials in left M1. Optogenetic stimulation of right M1 consistently evoked a transcallosal response in left M1 with a consistent negative peak (N1) that sometimes was preceded by a smaller positive peak (P1). Higher stimulation intensity or longer stimulation duration gradually increased N1 amplitude and reduced N1 variability across trials. A combination of stimulation intensities of 5–10 mW with stimulus durations of 1–10 ms were generally sufficient to elicit a robust transcallosal response in most animal, with our optic fiber setup. Optogenetically stimulated excitatory neurons in M1 can reliably evoke a transcallosal response in anesthetized rats. Characterizing the relationship between “stimulation dose” and “response magnitude” (i.e., the gain function) of transcallosal M1-to-M1 excitatory connections can be used to optimize the variables of optogenetic stimulation and ensure stimulation efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Stald Skoven
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Functional Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University (AU), Aarhus, Denmark
- *Correspondence: Christian Stald Skoven,
| | - Leo Tomasevic
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Duda Kvitsiani
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Bente Pakkenberg
- Research Laboratory for Stereology and Neuroscience, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tim Bjørn Dyrby
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Technical University of Denmark, Kongens Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Hartwig Roman Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Amager and Hvidovre, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Neurology, Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Hartwig Roman Siebner,
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