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Zhang Y, Zhang W, Wang L, Liu D, Xie T, Le Z, Li X, Gong H, Xu XH, Xu M, Yao H. Whole-brain Mapping of Inputs and Outputs of Specific Orbitofrontal Cortical Neurons in Mice. Neurosci Bull 2024:10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8. [PMID: 38801564 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01229-8] [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: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The orbitofrontal cortex (ORB), a region crucial for stimulus-reward association, decision-making, and flexible behaviors, extensively connects with other brain areas. However, brain-wide inputs to projection-defined ORB neurons and the distribution of inhibitory neurons postsynaptic to neurons in specific ORB subregions remain poorly characterized. Here we mapped the inputs of five types of projection-specific ORB neurons and ORB outputs to two types of inhibitory neurons. We found that different projection-defined ORB neurons received inputs from similar cortical and thalamic regions, albeit with quantitative variations, particularly in somatomotor areas and medial groups of the dorsal thalamus. By counting parvalbumin (PV) or somatostatin (SST) interneurons innervated by neurons in specific ORB subregions, we found a higher fraction of PV neurons in sensory cortices and a higher fraction of SST neurons in subcortical regions targeted by medial ORB neurons. These results provide insights into understanding and investigating the function of specific ORB neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yijie Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wen Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Lizhao Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Dechen Liu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Taorong Xie
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Ziwei Le
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiangning Li
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Hui Gong
- HUST-Suzhou Institute for Brainsmatics, JITRI, Suzhou, 215123, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
| | - Xiao-Hong Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Min Xu
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China
| | - Haishan Yao
- Institute of Neuroscience, State Key Laboratory of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
- Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 201210, China.
- Key Laboratory of Brain Cognition and Brain-inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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Rojas AKP, Linley SB, Vertes RP. CHEMOGENETIC INACTIVATION OF THE NUCLEUS REUNIENS AND ITS PROJECTIONS TO THE ORBITAL CORTEX PRODUCE DEFICITS ON DISCRETE MEASURES OF BEHAVIORAL FLEXIBILITY IN THE ATTENTIONAL SET-SHIFTING TASK. Behav Brain Res 2024:115066. [PMID: 38801950 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115066] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
The nucleus reuniens (RE) of the ventral midline thalamus is a critical node in the communication between the orbitomedial prefrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus (HF). While RE has been shown to directly participate in memory-associated functions through its connections with the medial prefrontal cortex and HF, less is known regarding the role of RE in executive functioning. Here, we examined the involvement of RE and its projections to the orbital cortex (ORB) in attention and behavioral flexibility in male rats using the attentional set shifting task (AST). Rats expressing the hM4D DREADD receptor in RE were implanted with indwelling cannulas in either RE or the ventromedial ORB to pharmacologically inhibit RE or its projections to the ORB with intracranial infusions of clozapine-N-oxide hydrochloride (CNO). Chemogenetic-induced suppression of RE resulted in impairments in reversal learning and set-shifting. This supports a vital role for RE in behavioral flexibility - or the ability to adapt behavior to changing reward or rule contingencies. Interestingly, CNO suppression of RE projections to the ventromedial ORB produced impairments in rule abstraction - or dissociable effects elicited with direct RE suppression. In summary, the present findings indicate that RE, mediated in part by actions on the ORB, serves a critical role in the flexible use of rules to drive goal directed behavior. The cognitive deficits of various neurological disorders with impaired communication between the HF and OFC, may be partly attributed to alterations of RE -- as an established intermediary between these cortical structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K P Rojas
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431
| | - Stephanie B Linley
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431
| | - Robert P Vertes
- Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431; Department of Psychology, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431.
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3
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Koch ET, Cheng J, Ramandi D, Sepers MD, Hsu A, Fong T, Murphy TH, Yttri E, Raymond LA. Deep behavioural phenotyping of the Q175 Huntington disease mouse model: effects of age, sex, and weight. BMC Biol 2024; 22:121. [PMID: 38783261 PMCID: PMC11119712 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-024-01919-9] [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: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Huntington disease (HD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with complex motor and behavioural manifestations. The Q175 knock-in mouse model of HD has gained recent popularity as a genetically accurate model of the human disease. However, behavioural phenotypes are often subtle and progress slowly in this model. Here, we have implemented machine-learning algorithms to investigate behaviour in the Q175 model and compare differences between sexes and disease stages. We explore distinct behavioural patterns and motor functions in open field, rotarod, water T-maze, and home cage lever-pulling tasks. RESULTS In the open field, we observed habituation deficits in two versions of the Q175 model (zQ175dn and Q175FDN, on two different background strains), and using B-SOiD, an advanced machine learning approach, we found altered performance of rearing in male manifest zQ175dn mice. Notably, we found that weight had a considerable effect on performance of accelerating rotarod and water T-maze tasks and controlled for this by normalizing for weight. Manifest zQ175dn mice displayed a deficit in accelerating rotarod (after weight normalization), as well as changes to paw kinematics specific to males. Our water T-maze experiments revealed response learning deficits in manifest zQ175dn mice and reversal learning deficits in premanifest male zQ175dn mice; further analysis using PyMouseTracks software allowed us to characterize new behavioural features in this task, including time at decision point and number of accelerations. In a home cage-based lever-pulling assessment, we found significant learning deficits in male manifest zQ175dn mice. A subset of mice also underwent electrophysiology slice experiments, revealing a reduced spontaneous excitatory event frequency in male manifest zQ175dn mice. CONCLUSIONS Our study uncovered several behavioural changes in Q175 mice that differed by sex, age, and strain. Our results highlight the impact of weight and experimental protocol on behavioural results, and the utility of machine learning tools to examine behaviour in more detailed ways than was previously possible. Specifically, this work provides the field with an updated overview of behavioural impairments in this model of HD, as well as novel techniques for dissecting behaviour in the open field, accelerating rotarod, and T-maze tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen T Koch
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Present Address: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, T2N 2T9, Canada.
| | - Judy Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Daniel Ramandi
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Cell and Developmental Biology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marja D Sepers
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Alex Hsu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Tony Fong
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Timothy H Murphy
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Eric Yttri
- Department of Biological Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Lynn A Raymond
- Department of Psychiatry, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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4
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Rivas-Blanco D, Monteiro T, Virányi Z, Range F. Going back to "basics": Harlow's learning set task with wolves and dogs. Learn Behav 2024:10.3758/s13420-024-00631-6. [PMID: 38780876 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-024-00631-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
To survive and reproduce, animals need to behave adaptively by adjusting their behavior to their environment, with learning facilitating some of these processes. Dogs have become a go-to model species in comparative cognition studies, making our understanding of their learning skills paramount at multiple levels, not only with regards to basic research on their cognitive skills and the effects of domestication, but also with applied purposes such as training. In order to tackle these issues, we tested similarly raised wolves and dogs in a serial learning task inspired by Harlow's "learning set." In Phase 1, different pairs of objects were presented to the animals, one of which was baited while the other was not. Both species' performance gradually improved with each new set of objects, showing that they "learnt to learn," but no differences were found between the species in their learning speed. In Phase 2, once subjects had learned the association between one of the objects and the food reward, the contingencies were reversed and the previously unrewarded object of the same pair was now rewarded. Dogs' performance in this task seemed to be better than wolves', albeit only when considering just the first session of each reversal, suggesting that the dogs might be more flexible than wolves. Further research (possibly with the aid of refined methods such as computer-based tasks) would help ascertain whether these differences between wolves and dogs are persistent across different learning tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dániel Rivas-Blanco
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- William James Center for Research, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal.
| | - Tiago Monteiro
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- William James Center for Research, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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Cording KR, Tu EM, Wang H, Agopyan-Miu AHCW, Bateup HS. Cntnap2 loss drives striatal neuron hyperexcitability and behavioral inflexibility. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.09.593387. [PMID: 38766169 PMCID: PMC11100810 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.09.593387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by two major diagnostic criteria - persistent deficits in social communication and interaction, and the presence of restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior (RRBs). Evidence from both human and animal model studies of ASD suggest that alteration of striatal circuits, which mediate motor learning, action selection, and habit formation, may contribute to the manifestation of RRBs. CNTNAP2 is a syndromic ASD risk gene, and loss of function of Cntnap2 in mice is associated with RRBs. How loss of Cntnap2 impacts striatal neuron function is largely unknown. In this study, we utilized Cntnap2 -/- mice to test whether altered striatal neuron activity contributes to aberrant motor behaviors relevant to ASD. We find that Cntnap2 -/- mice exhibit increased cortical drive of striatal projection neurons (SPNs), with the most pronounced effects in direct pathway SPNs. This enhanced drive is likely due to increased intrinsic excitability of SPNs, which make them more responsive to cortical inputs. We also find that Cntnap2 -/- mice exhibit spontaneous repetitive behaviors, increased motor routine learning, and cognitive inflexibility. Increased corticostriatal drive, in particular of the direct pathway, may contribute to the acquisition of repetitive, inflexible behaviors in Cntnap2 mice.
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6
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Barber KE, Woods DW, Deckersbach T, Bauer CC, Compton SN, Twohig MP, Ricketts EJ, Robinson J, Saunders SM, Franklin ME. Neurocognitive functioning in adults with trichotillomania: Predictors of treatment response and symptom severity in a randomized control trial. Behav Res Ther 2024; 179:104556. [PMID: 38761558 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
Trichotillomania (TTM) is associated with impairments in response inhibition and cognitive flexibility, but it is unclear how such impairments relate to treatment outcome. The present study examined pre-treatment response inhibition and cognitive flexibility as predictors of treatment outcome, change in these domains from pre-to post-treatment, and associations with TTM severity. Participants were drawn from a randomized controlled trial comparing acceptance-enhanced behavior therapy (AEBT) to psychoeducation and supportive therapy (PST) for TTM. Adults completed assessments at pre-treatment (n = 88) and following 12 weeks of treatment (n = 68). Response inhibition and cognitive flexibility were assessed using the Stop Signal Task and Object Alternation Task, respectively. Participants completed the MGH-Hairpulling Scale. Independent evaluators administered the NIMH-Trichotillomania Severity Scale and Clinical Global Impressions-Improvement Scale. Higher pre-treatment TTM severity was associated with poorer pre-treatment cognitive flexibility, but not response inhibition. Better pre-treatment response inhibition performance predicted positive treatment response and lower post-treatment TTM symptom severity, irrespective of treatment assignment. Cognitive flexibility did not predict treatment response. After controlling for age, neither neurocognitive variable changed during treatment. Response inhibition and cognitive flexibility appear uniquely related to hair pulling severity and treatment response in adults with TTM. Implications for treatment delivery and development are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn E Barber
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, 317 604 N. 16th St. Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA.
| | - Douglas W Woods
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, 317 604 N. 16th St. Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Thilo Deckersbach
- University of Applied Sciences, DIPLOMA Hochschule, Am Hegeberg 2, 37242 Bad Sooden-Allendorf, Germany
| | - Christopher C Bauer
- Medical College of Wisconsin, Health Resource Center, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd., 5th Floor, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Scott N Compton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University, Duke Child and Family Study Center, 2608 Erwin Road Durham, NC, 27705, USA
| | - Michael P Twohig
- Utah State University, Department of Psychology, 2810 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Emily J Ricketts
- Department of Neuroscience, UCLA Semel Institute, 1506 Gonda Center Los Angeles, California, 90095, USA
| | - Jordan Robinson
- JSR Neuropsychological Services, 3209 W 76th St, Edina, MN, 55435, USA
| | - Stephen M Saunders
- Department of Psychology, Marquette University, 317 604 N. 16th St. Milwaukee, WI, 53233, USA
| | - Martin E Franklin
- Rogers Behavioral Health, 1 Winding Drive, Suite 106, Philadelphia, PA, 19131, USA
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7
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Alonso L, Peeva P, Fernández-del Valle Alquicira T, Erdelyi N, Gil Nolskog Á, Bader M, Winter Y, Alenina N, Rivalan M. Poor Decision Making and Sociability Impairment Following Central Serotonin Reduction in Inducible TPH2-Knockdown Rats. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:5003. [PMID: 38732220 PMCID: PMC11084943 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25095003] [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: 03/08/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Serotonin is an essential neuromodulator for mental health and animals' socio-cognitive abilities. However, we previously found that a constitutive depletion of central serotonin did not impair rat cognitive abilities in stand-alone tests. Here, we investigated how a mild and acute decrease in brain serotonin would affect rats' cognitive abilities. Using a novel rat model of inducible serotonin depletion via the genetic knockdown of tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2), we achieved a 20% decrease in serotonin levels in the hypothalamus after three weeks of non-invasive oral doxycycline administration. Decision making, cognitive flexibility, and social recognition memory were tested in low-serotonin (Tph2-kd) and control rats. Our results showed that the Tph2-kd rats were more prone to choose disadvantageously in the long term (poor decision making) in the Rat Gambling Task and that only the low-serotonin poor decision makers were more sensitive to probabilistic discounting and had poorer social recognition memory than other low-serotonin and control individuals. Flexibility was unaffected by the acute brain serotonin reduction. Poor social recognition memory was the most central characteristic of the behavioral network of low-serotonin poor decision makers, suggesting a key role of social recognition in the expression of their profile. The acute decrease in brain serotonin appeared to specifically amplify the cognitive impairments of the subgroup of individuals also identified as poor decision makers in the population. This study highlights the great opportunity the Tph2-kd rat model offers to study inter-individual susceptibilities to develop cognitive impairment following mild variations of brain serotonin in otherwise healthy individuals. These transgenic and differential approaches together could be critical for the identification of translational markers and vulnerabilities in the development of mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucille Alonso
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Univ. Bordeaux, CNRS, IINS, UMR 5297, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Polina Peeva
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tania Fernández-del Valle Alquicira
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Narda Erdelyi
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
| | - Ángel Gil Nolskog
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Michael Bader
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
- Institute for Biology, University of Lübeck, 23562 Lübeck, Germany
| | - York Winter
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
| | - Natalia Alenina
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), 13125 Berlin, Germany
- DZHK (German Center for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Berlin, 10785 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marion Rivalan
- Institut für Biologie, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; (L.A.); (T.F.-d.V.A.); (Y.W.)
- Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany (M.B.)
- NeuroPSI—Paris-Saclay Institute of Neuroscience, CNRS—Université Paris-Saclay, F-91400 Saclay, France
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8
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Richmond-Hacham B, Tseitlin L, Bikovski L, Pick CG. Investigation of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Home Cage Behavior: The Home Cage Assay Advantages. J Neurotrauma 2024. [PMID: 38517091 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2023.0459] [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: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
This study utilized the Noldus PhenoTyper Home Cage Monitoring system (HCM) to assess the behavioral and cognitive changes of experimental closed-head mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Seventy-nine adult male Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were subjected to either a sham procedure or closed-head mTBI using the weight-drop model. Seven days post-injury, separate cohorts of mice underwent either a non-cognitive or a cognitive home cage assessment, a treadmill fatigue test, or the Open Field Test. mTBI significantly influenced habituation behavior and circadian wheel-running activity. Notably, mTBI mice exhibited an increased frequency of visits to the running wheel, but each visit was shorter than those of controls. No significant differences between the groups in discrimination or reversal learning performance were observed. However, during the reversal learning stage, mTBI mice performed similarly to their initial discrimination learning levels, suggesting an abnormally faster rate of reversal learning. Home cage monitoring is a valuable tool for studying the subtle effects of mTBI, complementing traditional assays. The automated evaluation of habituation to novel stimuli (e.g., novel environment) could serve as a potentially sensitive tool for assessing mTBI-associated behavioral deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bar Richmond-Hacham
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Liron Tseitlin
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lior Bikovski
- Myers Neuro-Behavioral Core Facility, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
- School of Behavioral Sciences, Netanya Academic College, Netanya, Israel
| | - Chaim G Pick
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sylvan Adams Sports Institute, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Dr. Miriam and Sheldon G. Adelson Chair and Center for the Biology of Addictive Diseases, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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9
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Guadagno A, Triki Z. Executive functions and brain morphology of male and female dominant and subordinate cichlid fish. Brain Behav 2024; 14:e3484. [PMID: 38680075 PMCID: PMC11056711 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3484] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Living in a social dominance hierarchy presents different benefits and challenges for dominant and subordinate males and females, which might in turn affect their cognitive needs. Despite the extensive research on social dominance in group-living species, there is still a knowledge gap regarding how social status impacts brain morphology and cognitive abilities. METHODS Here, we tested male and female dominants and subordinates of Neolamprologus pulcher, a social cichlid fish species with size-based hierarchy. We ran three executive cognitive function tests for cognitive flexibility (reversal learning test), self-control (detour test), and working memory (object permanence test), followed by brain and brain region size measurements. RESULTS Performance was not influenced by social status or sex. However, dominants exhibited a brain-body slope that was relatively steeper than that of subordinates. Furthermore, individual performance in reversal learning and detour tests correlated with brain morphology, with some trade-offs among major brain regions like telencephalon, cerebellum, and optic tectum. CONCLUSION As individuals' brain growth strategies varied depending on social status without affecting executive functions, the different associated challenges might yield a potential effect on social cognition instead. Overall, the findings highlight the importance of studying the individual and not just species to understand better how the individual's ecology might shape its brain and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Guadagno
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
| | - Zegni Triki
- Behavioural Ecology Division, Institute of Ecology and EvolutionUniversity of BernBernSwitzerland
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10
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Robbins TW, Banca P, Belin D. From compulsivity to compulsion: the neural basis of compulsive disorders. Nat Rev Neurosci 2024; 25:313-333. [PMID: 38594324 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-024-00807-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Compulsive behaviour, an apparently irrational perseveration in often maladaptive acts, is a potential transdiagnostic symptom of several neuropsychiatric disorders, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and addiction, and may reflect the severe manifestation of a dimensional trait termed compulsivity. In this Review, we examine the psychological basis of compulsions and compulsivity and their underlying neural circuitry using evidence from human neuroimaging and animal models. Several main elements of this circuitry are identified, focused on fronto-striatal systems implicated in goal-directed behaviour and habits. These systems include the orbitofrontal, prefrontal, anterior cingulate and insular cortices and their connections with the basal ganglia as well as sensoriomotor and parietal cortices and cerebellum. We also consider the implications for future classification of impulsive-compulsive disorders and their treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor W Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Paula Banca
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - David Belin
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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11
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Lallai V, Congiu C, Craig G, Manca L, Chen YC, Dukes AJ, Fowler CD, Dazzi L. Social isolation postweaning alters reward-related dopamine dynamics in a region-specific manner in adolescent male rats. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100620. [PMID: 38486879 PMCID: PMC10937317 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Early development is characterized by dynamic transitions in brain maturation, which may be impacted by environmental factors. Here, we sought to determine the effects of social isolation from postweaning and during adolescence on reward behavior and dopaminergic signaling in male rats. Subjects were socially isolated or group housed at postnatal day 21. Three weeks later, extracellular dopamine concentrations were examined in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens shell (NAc) during a feeding bout. Surprisingly, opposing effects were found in which increased mPFC dopamine concentrations were observed in group housed, but not isolated, rats. In stark contrast, increased dopamine levels were found in the NAc of isolated, but not group housed, rats. Moreover, the absence of an effect in the mPFC of the isolated rats could not be reversed by subsequent group housing, demonstrating the remarkable long-term effects on dopamine signaling dynamics. When provided a highly palatable food, the isolated subjects exhibited a dramatic increase in mPFC dopamine levels when the chocolate was novel, but no effects following chronic chocolate consumption. In contrast, the group housed subjects showed significantly increased dopamine levels only with chronic chocolate consumption. The dopamine changes were correlated with differences in behavioral measures. Importantly, the deficit in reward-related behavior during isolation could be reversed by microinjection of either dopamine or cocaine into the mPFC. Together, these data provide evidence that social isolation from postweaning and during adolescence alters reward-induced dopamine levels in a brain region-specific manner, which has important functional implications for reward-related behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Lallai
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, Centre of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Dependence, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Cristina Congiu
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, Centre of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Dependence, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Giulia Craig
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, Centre of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Dependence, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Letizia Manca
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, Centre of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Dependence, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
| | - Yen-Chu Chen
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Angeline J. Dukes
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Christie D. Fowler
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA
| | - Laura Dazzi
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Anthropology, Centre of Excellence for the Neurobiology of Dependence, University of Cagliari, 09042, Monserrato, CA, Italy
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12
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Reilly EE, Wierenga CE, Grange DL. Testing the role of associative learning in evidence-based treatments for anorexia nervosa. Int J Eat Disord 2024; 57:1088-1095. [PMID: 38323377 PMCID: PMC11093706 DOI: 10.1002/eat.24161] [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: 11/02/2023] [Revised: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024]
Abstract
Treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN) remain ineffective for many patients. Processes that can account for differential treatment outcomes remain mostly unknown. We propose that the field test the role of associative learning in current psychological treatments. We hold that this line of research could yield actionable information for understanding non-response and improving long-term outcomes. To make this argument, we define associative learning and outline its proposed role in understanding psychiatric disorders and their treatment. We then briefly review data exploring associative learning in AN. We argue that associative learning processes are implicitly implicated in existing treatments; by this rationale, baseline differences in learning may interfere with treatment response. Finally, we outline future research to test our hypotheses. Altogether, future research aimed at better understanding how associative learning may contribute to AN symptom persistence has the potential to inform novel directions in intervention research. PUBLIC SIGNIFICANCE: There is a pressing need to improve outcomes in treatments for anorexia nervosa (AN). We propose that individual differences in associative learning-the ability to form and update associations between cues, contexts, behaviors, and outcomes-may account for differential response to existing treatments. Undertaking this research could provide an understanding of how current treatments work and inform new approaches for those who may be at risk of poor outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin E. Reilly
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | | | - Daniel Le Grange
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience (Emeritus), The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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13
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Mather M. The emotion paradox in the aging body and brain. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024. [PMID: 38676452 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
With age, parasympathetic activity decreases, while sympathetic activity increases. Thus, the typical older adult has low heart rate variability (HRV) and high noradrenaline levels. Younger adults with this physiological profile tend to be unhappy and stressed. Yet, with age, emotional experience tends to improve. Why does older adults' emotional well-being not suffer as their HRV decreases? To address this apparent paradox, I present the autonomic compensation model. In this model, failing organs, the initial phases of Alzheimer's pathology, and other age-related diseases trigger noradrenergic hyperactivity. To compensate, older brains increase autonomic regulatory activity in the pregenual prefrontal cortex (PFC). Age-related declines in nerve conduction reduce the ability of the pregenual PFC to reduce hyperactive noradrenergic activity and increase peripheral HRV. But these pregenual PFC autonomic compensation efforts have a significant impact in the brain, where they bias processing in favor of stimuli that tend to increase parasympathetic activity (e.g., stimuli that increase feelings of safety) and against stimuli that tend to increase sympathetic activity (e.g., threatening stimuli). In summary, the autonomic compensation model posits that age-related chronic sympathetic/noradrenergic hyperactivity stimulates regulatory attempts that have the side effect of enhancing emotional well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mara Mather
- Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, Department of Psychology, and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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14
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Terrier C, Greco-Vuilloud J, Cavelius M, Thevenet M, Mandairon N, Didier A, Richard M. Long-term olfactory enrichment promotes non-olfactory cognition, noradrenergic plasticity and remodeling of brain functional connectivity in older mice. Neurobiol Aging 2024; 136:133-156. [PMID: 38364691 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.01.011] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
Brain functional and structural changes lead to cognitive decline during aging, but a high level of cognitive stimulation during life can improve cognitive performances in the older adults, forming the cognitive reserve. Noradrenaline has been proposed as a molecular link between environmental stimulation and constitution of the cognitive reserve. Taking advantage of the ability of olfactory stimulation to activate noradrenergic neurons of the locus coeruleus, we used repeated olfactory enrichment sessions over the mouse lifespan to enable the cognitive reserve buildup. Mice submitted to olfactory enrichment, whether started in early or late adulthood, displayed improved olfactory discrimination at late ages and interestingly, improved spatial memory and cognitive flexibility. Moreover, olfactory and non-olfactory cognitive performances correlated with increased noradrenergic innervation in the olfactory bulb and dorsal hippocampus. Finally, c-Fos mapping and connectivity analysis revealed task-specific remodeling of functional neural networks in enriched older mice. Long-term olfactory enrichment thus triggers structural noradrenergic plasticity and network remodeling associated with better cognitive aging and thereby forms a promising mouse model of the cognitive reserve buildup.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Terrier
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Juliette Greco-Vuilloud
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Matthias Cavelius
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Marc Thevenet
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Nathalie Mandairon
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Anne Didier
- Institut universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - Marion Richard
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France.
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15
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Licheri V, Chandrasekaran J, Kenton JA, Bird CW, Valenzuela CF, Brigman JL. Optogenetic stimulation of corticostriatal circuits improves behavioral flexibility in mice with prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropharmacology 2024; 247:109860. [PMID: 38336243 PMCID: PMC10901293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109860] [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: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the most common preventable form of developmental and neurobehavioral disability. Animal models have demonstrated that even low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is sufficient to impair behavioral flexibility in multiple domains. Previously, utilizing a moderate limited access drinking in the dark paradigm, we have shown that PAE 1) impairs touchscreen pairwise visual reversal in male adult offspring 2) leads to small but significant decreases in orbitofrontal (OFC) firing rates 3) significantly increases dorsal striatum (dS) activity and 4) aberrantly sustains OFC-dS synchrony across early reversal. In the current study, we examined whether optogenetic stimulation of OFC-dS projection neurons would be sufficient to rescue the behavioral inflexibility induced by PAE in male C57BL/6J mice. Following discrimination learning, we targeted OFC-dS projections using a retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivered to the dS which expressed channel rhodopsin (ChR2). During the first four sessions of reversal learning, we delivered high frequency optogenetic stimulation to the OFC via optic fibers immediately following correct choice responses. Our results show that optogenetic stimulation significantly reduced the number of sessions, incorrect responses, and correction errors required to move past the early perseverative phase for both PAE and control mice. In addition, OFC-dS stimulation during early reversal learning reduced the increased sessions, correct and incorrect responding seen in PAE mice during the later learning phase of reversal but did not significantly alter later performance in control ChR2 mice. Taken together these results suggest that stimulation of OFC-dS projections can improve early reversal learning in PAE and control mice, and these improvements can persist even into later stages of the task days later. These studies provide an important foundation for future clinical approaches to improve executive control in those with FASD. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Licheri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | | | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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16
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Cheng Y, Magnard R, Langdon AJ, Lee D, Janak PH. Chronic Ethanol Exposure Produces Persistent Impairment in Cognitive Flexibility and Decision Signals in the Striatum. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.10.584332. [PMID: 38585868 PMCID: PMC10996555 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.10.584332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Lack of cognitive flexibility is a hallmark of substance use disorders and has been associated with drug-induced synaptic plasticity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS). Yet the possible impact of altered plasticity on real-time striatal neural dynamics during decision-making is unclear. Here, we identified persistent impairments induced by chronic ethanol (EtOH) exposure on cognitive flexibility and striatal decision signals. After a substantial withdrawal period from prior EtOH vapor exposure, male, but not female, rats exhibited reduced adaptability and exploratory behavior during a dynamic decision-making task. Reinforcement learning models showed that prior EtOH exposure enhanced learning from rewards over omissions. Notably, neural signals in the DMS related to the decision outcome were enhanced, while those related to choice and choice-outcome conjunction were reduced, in EtOH-treated rats compared to the controls. These findings highlight the profound impact of chronic EtOH exposure on adaptive decision-making, pinpointing specific changes in striatal representations of actions and outcomes as underlying mechanisms for cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifeng Cheng
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Robin Magnard
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Angela J. Langdon
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Daeyeol Lee
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
| | - Patricia H. Janak
- Department Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD
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17
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Gutierrez-Castellanos N, Sarra D, Godinho BS, Mainen ZF. Maturation of cortical input to dorsal raphe nucleus increases behavioral persistence in mice. eLife 2024; 13:e93485. [PMID: 38477558 PMCID: PMC10994666 DOI: 10.7554/elife.93485] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to persist toward a desired objective is a fundamental aspect of behavioral control whose impairment is implicated in several behavioral disorders. One of the prominent features of behavioral persistence is that its maturation occurs relatively late in development. This is presumed to echo the developmental time course of a corresponding circuit within late-maturing parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex, but the specific identity of the responsible circuits is unknown. Here, we used a genetic approach to describe the maturation of the projection from layer 5 neurons of the neocortex to the dorsal raphe nucleus in mice. Using optogenetic-assisted circuit mapping, we show that this projection undergoes a dramatic increase in synaptic potency between postnatal weeks 3 and 8, corresponding to the transition from juvenile to adult. We then show that this period corresponds to an increase in the behavioral persistence that mice exhibit in a foraging task. Finally, we used a genetic targeting strategy that primarily affected neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex, to selectively ablate this pathway in adulthood and show that mice revert to a behavioral phenotype similar to juveniles. These results suggest that frontal cortical to dorsal raphe input is a critical anatomical and functional substrate of the development and manifestation of behavioral persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dario Sarra
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud FoundationLisbonPortugal
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Beatriz S Godinho
- Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud FoundationLisbonPortugal
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
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18
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Chidambaram S, Wintergerst S, Kacelnik A, Nachev V, Winter Y. Serial reversal learning in nectar-feeding bats. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:24. [PMID: 38451365 PMCID: PMC10920430 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01836-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 01/05/2024] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
We explored the behavioral flexibility of Commissaris's long-tongued bats through a spatial serial reversal foraging task. Bats kept in captivity for short periods were trained to obtain nectar rewards from two artificial flowers. At any given time, only one of the flowers provided rewards and these reward contingencies reversed in successive blocks of 50 flower visits. All bats detected and responded to reversals by making most of their visits to the currently active flower. As the bats experienced repeated reversals, their preference re-adjusted faster. Although the flower state reversals were theoretically predictable, we did not detect anticipatory behavior, that is, frequency of visits to the alternative flower did not increase within each block as the programmed reversal approached. The net balance of these changes was a progressive improvement in performance in terms of the total proportion of visits allocated to the active flower. The results are compatible with, but do not depend on, the bats displaying an ability to 'learn to learn' and show that the dynamics of allocation of effort between food sources can change flexibly according to circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shambhavi Chidambaram
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Alex Kacelnik
- Department of Biology and Pembroke College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Vladislav Nachev
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- QUEST Center for Responsible Research, Berlin Institute of Health at Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - York Winter
- Institute of Biology, Humboldt University, Philippstraße 13, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
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19
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Müller M, Pillay N. Cognitive flexibility in urban yellow mongooses, Cynictis penicillata. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:14. [PMID: 38429567 PMCID: PMC10907452 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01839-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility enables animals to alter their behaviour and respond appropriately to environmental changes. Such flexibility is important in urban settings where environmental changes occur rapidly and continually. We studied whether free-living, urban-dwelling yellow mongooses, Cynictis penicillata, in South Africa, are cognitively flexible in reversal learning and attention task experiments (n = 10). Reversal learning was conducted using two puzzle boxes that were distinct visually and spatially, each containing a preferred or non-preferred food type. Once mongooses learned which box contained the preferred food type, the food types were reversed. The mongooses successfully unlearned their previously learned response in favour of learning a new response, possibly through a win-stay, lose-shift strategy. Attention task experiments were conducted using one puzzle box surrounded by zero, one, two or three objects, introducing various levels of distraction while solving the task. The mongooses were distracted by two and three distractions but were able to solve the task despite the distractions by splitting their attention between the puzzle box task and remaining vigilant. However, those exposed to human residents more often were more vigilant. We provide the first evidence of cognitive flexibility in urban yellow mongooses, which enables them to modify their behaviour to urban environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mijke Müller
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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20
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Scheper I, Brazil IA, Claassen JAHR, Bertens D, Geurts S, Kessels RPC. Learning capacity in early-stage Alzheimer's disease: The role of feedback during learning on memory performance. J Neuropsychol 2024; 18:100-119. [PMID: 37319104 DOI: 10.1111/jnp.12330] [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: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a decline in episodic memory and executive functioning, hampering learning ability. Insight into outcome-based learning capacity may be relevant for optimizing the learning potential of these patients. To date, mixed results have been found in studies in which cognitively impaired participants have to learn based on positive and negative outcomes. In this study, we investigated the role of negative and positive feedback on memory performance and participants' ability to adjust their behaviour accordingly in a sample of 23 early-stage AD patients and 23 matched healthy controls. We administered a novel computerized object-location memory task, in which participants were instructed to learn and memorize the locations of different everyday objects following errorless learning (EL) and trial-and-error learning (TEL). A separate probabilistic TEL task was employed in which participants had to learn how to adjust their behaviour based on positive and negative feedback. EL had a beneficial general effect on memory performance for object locations. However, this effect was not larger in early-stage AD patients compared to controls and error frequency during acquisition of object locations was unrelated to later recall performance. No group differences were found on the probabilistic learning task with respect to learning performance over time and based on positive and negative feedback. Although the error monitoring system seems intact in patients with early-stage AD, errors during learning are likely acting as a source of interference causing difficulty in storage or retrieval of object locations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge Scheper
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Center for Psychiatry, GGZ Centraal, Amersfoort, The Netherlands
| | - Inti A Brazil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Division Diagnostics, Research, & Education, Forensic Psychiatric Centre Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jurgen A H R Claassen
- Department of Geriatric Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Dirk Bertens
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Klimmendaal Rehabilitation Specialists, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | - Sofie Geurts
- Department of Medical Psychology, Canisius Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P C Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Klimmendaal Rehabilitation Specialists, Arnhem, The Netherlands
- Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
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21
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Maggi S, Hock RM, O'Neill M, Buckley M, Moran PM, Bast T, Sami M, Humphries MD. Tracking subjects' strategies in behavioural choice experiments at trial resolution. eLife 2024; 13:e86491. [PMID: 38426402 PMCID: PMC10959529 DOI: 10.7554/elife.86491] [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: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Investigating how, when, and what subjects learn during decision-making tasks requires tracking their choice strategies on a trial-by-trial basis. Here, we present a simple but effective probabilistic approach to tracking choice strategies at trial resolution using Bayesian evidence accumulation. We show this approach identifies both successful learning and the exploratory strategies used in decision tasks performed by humans, non-human primates, rats, and synthetic agents. Both when subjects learn and when rules change the exploratory strategies of win-stay and lose-shift, often considered complementary, are consistently used independently. Indeed, we find the use of lose-shift is strong evidence that subjects have latently learnt the salient features of a new rewarded rule. Our approach can be extended to any discrete choice strategy, and its low computational cost is ideally suited for real-time analysis and closed-loop control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Maggi
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Rebecca M Hock
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Martin O'Neill
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Department of Health & Nutritional Sciences, Atlantic Technological UniversitySligoIreland
| | - Mark Buckley
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of OxfordOxfordUnited Kingdom
| | - Paula M Moran
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Department of Neuroscience, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Tobias Bast
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
- Department of Neuroscience, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Musa Sami
- Institute of Mental Health, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
| | - Mark D Humphries
- School of Psychology, University of NottinghamNottinghamUnited Kingdom
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22
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Heimer O, Hertz U. The spread of affective and semantic valence representations across states. Cognition 2024; 244:105714. [PMID: 38176154 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105714] [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: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
In many decision problems, outcomes are not reached after a single action but rather after a series of events or states. To optimize decisions over multiple states, representations of how good or bad the outcomes are, that is, the outcomes' valence, should spread across states. One mechanism for valence spreading is a temporal, state-independent process in which a single valence representation is updated when an outcome is experienced and fades away afterwards. Each state's valence is based on its temporal proximity to the experienced outcome. An alternative, state-dependent mechanism relies on the structure of transitions between states, updating a separate valence representation for each state according to its spatial distance from the outcomes. We examined how these mechanistic accounts shape the spread of two formats of valence representation, feelings (affective valence) and knowledge (semantic valence), between states. In two pre-registered experiments (N = 585), we used a novel task in which participants move in a four-state maze, one of which contains an outcome. The participants provide self-reports of affective and semantic valence throughout the maze and after finishing it. Results show that the affective representation of negative valence is more localized in state-space than the semantic representation. We also found evidence for the relative reliance of the affective valence on a temporal, state-independent mechanism and of the semantic valence on a structured, state-dependent mechanism. Our findings provide mechanistic accounts for the differences between affective and semantic valence representations and indicate how such representations may play a role in associative learning and decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Heimer
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Uri Hertz
- Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
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Schneider I, Schönfeld R, Hanert A, Philippen S, Tödt I, Granert O, Mehdorn M, Becktepe J, Deuschl G, Berg D, Paschen S, Bartsch T. Deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus restores spatial reversal learning in patients with Parkinson's disease. Brain Commun 2024; 6:fcae068. [PMID: 38560516 PMCID: PMC10979721 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcae068] [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: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Spatial learning and navigation are supported by distinct memory systems in the human brain such as the hippocampus-based navigational system and the striatum-cortex-based system involved in motor sequence, habit and reversal learning. Here, we studied the role of subthalamic circuits in hippocampus-associated spatial memory and striatal-associated spatial reversal learning formation in patients with Parkinson's disease, who underwent a deep brain stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus. Deep brain stimulation patients (Parkinson's disease-subthalamic nucleus: n = 26) and healthy subjects (n = 15) were tested in a novel experimental spatial memory task based on the Morris water maze that assesses both hippocampal place memory as well as spatial reversal learning. All subjects were trained to navigate to a distinct spatial location hidden within the virtual environment during 16 learning trials in a subthalamic nucleus Stim-On condition. Patients were then randomized into two groups with either a deep brain stimulation On or Off condition. Four hours later, subjects were retested in a delayed recall and reversal learning condition. The reversal learning was realized with a new hidden location that should be memorized during six consecutive trials. The performance was measured by means of an index indicating the improvement during the reversal learning. In the delayed recall condition, neither patients, healthy subjects nor the deep brain stimulation On- versus Off groups showed a difference in place memory performance of the former trained location. In the reversal learning condition, healthy subjects (reversal index 2.0) and patients in the deep brain stimulation On condition (reversal index 1.6) showed a significant improvement. However, patients in the deep brain stimulation Off condition (reversal index 1.1) performed significantly worse and did not improve. There were no differences between all groups in a final visual guided navigation task with a visible target. These results suggest that deep brain stimulation of subthalamic nucleus restores spatial reversal learning in a virtual navigation task in patients with Parkinson's disease and gives insight into the neuromodulation effects on cognition of subthalamic circuits in Parkinson's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Schneider
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Robby Schönfeld
- Institute of Psychology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle 06108, Germany
| | - Annika Hanert
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Sarah Philippen
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Inken Tödt
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Oliver Granert
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Maximilian Mehdorn
- Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Jos Becktepe
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Günther Deuschl
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Daniela Berg
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Steffen Paschen
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
| | - Thorsten Bartsch
- Memory Disorders and Plasticity Group, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel 24105, Germany
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24
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Ernst TR, Hogers RMHW, Korosi A, van Leeuwen JL, Kotrschal A, Pollux BJA. Coercive mating has no impact on spatial learning, cognitive flexibility, and fecundity in female porthole livebearers (Poeciliopsis gracilis). JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38402692 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Coercive mating is a sexual selection strategy that is likely to influence female cognition. Female harassment levels have been linked to altered brain gene expression patterns and brain size evolution, suggesting females may respond to coercive mating by investing energy into "outsmarting" males. However, females exposed to coercive males have decreased foraging efficiency and likely increased stress levels, suggesting their brain function might instead be impaired. While it is therefore likely that coercive mating impacts female cognitive abilities, a direct test of this idea is currently lacking. In this study, we investigate the impact of coercive mating on female spatial memory and cognitive flexibility in a species with prevalent coercive mating. We compared the performance of female porthole livebearers (Poeciliopsis gracilis), which had been previously housed alone or with a coercive male, in both a spatial food localization task and a reversal learning task. While we found that both single and paired fish exhibited high proficiency in learning both tasks, we found no differences in learning ability between females that had or had not experienced coercive mating. In addition, our study found that the presence of a coercive male had no impact on female fecundity, but did influence female mass and standard length. Several studies have assumed that the presence of males, particularly coercive males, may affect the cognitive performance of female fish. However, our study shows that for some species females adapted to coercive mating regimes may be unaffected by male presence with regards to some cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany R Ernst
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - R M H W Hogers
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Korosi
- University of Amsterdam, Swammerdam Institute of Life Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, Brain Plasticity Group, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J L van Leeuwen
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - A Kotrschal
- Department of Animal Sciences, Behavioral Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bart J A Pollux
- Department of Animal Sciences, Experimental Zoology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Nelson J, Woeste EM, Oba K, Bitterman K, Billings BK, Sacco J, Jacobs B, Sherwood CC, Manger PR, Spocter MA. Neuropil Variation in the Prefrontal, Motor, and Visual Cortex of Six Felids. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2024; 99:25-44. [PMID: 38354714 DOI: 10.1159/000537843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Felids have evolved a specialized suite of morphological adaptations for obligate carnivory. Although the musculoskeletal anatomy of the Felidae has been studied extensively, the comparative neuroanatomy of felids is relatively unexplored. Little is known about how variation in the cerebral anatomy of felids relates to species-specific differences in sociality, hunting strategy, or activity patterns. METHODS We quantitatively analyzed neuropil variation in the prefrontal, primary motor, and primary visual cortices of six species of Felidae (Panthera leo, Panthera uncia, Panthera tigris, Panthera leopardus, Acinonyx jubatus, Felis sylvestris domesticus) to investigate relationships with brain size, neuronal cell parameters, and select behavioral and ecological factors. Neuropil is the dense, intricate network of axons, dendrites, and synapses in the brain, playing a critical role in information processing and communication between neurons. RESULTS There were significant species and regional differences in neuropil proportions, with African lion, cheetah, and tiger having more neuropil in all three cortical regions in comparison to the other species. Based on regression analyses, we find that the increased neuropil fraction in the prefrontal cortex supports social and behavioral flexibility, while in the primary motor cortex, this facilitates the neural activity needed for hunting movements. Greater neuropil fraction in the primary visual cortex may contribute to visual requirements associated with diel activity patterns. CONCLUSION These results provide a cross-species comparison of neuropil fraction variation in the Felidae, particularly the understudied Panthera, and provide evidence for convergence of the neuroanatomy of Panthera and cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Nelson
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Erin M Woeste
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Ken Oba
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Kathleen Bitterman
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Brendon K Billings
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James Sacco
- Ellis Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Muhammad A Spocter
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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26
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Denning CJE, Madory LE, Herbert JN, Cabrera RA, Szumlinski KK. Neuropharmacological Evidence Implicating Drug-Induced Glutamate Receptor Dysfunction in Affective and Cognitive Sequelae of Subchronic Methamphetamine Self-Administration in Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:1928. [PMID: 38339206 PMCID: PMC10856401 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25031928] [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: 01/01/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Methamphetamine (MA) is a highly addictive drug, and MA use disorder is often comorbid with anxiety and cognitive impairment. These comorbid conditions are theorized to reflect glutamate-related neurotoxicity within the frontal cortical regions. However, our prior studies of MA-sensitized mice indicate that subchronic, behaviorally non-contingent MA treatment is sufficient to dysregulate glutamate transmission in mouse brain. Here, we extend this prior work to a mouse model of high-dose oral MA self-administration (0.8, 1.6, or 3.2 g/L; 1 h sessions × 7 days) and show that while female C57BL/6J mice consumed more MA than males, MA-experienced mice of both sexes exhibited some signs of anxiety-like behavior in a behavioral test battery, although not all effects were concentration-dependent. No MA effects were detected for our measures of visually cued spatial navigation, spatial learning, or memory in the Morris water maze; however, females with a history of 3.2 g/L MA exhibited reversal-learning deficits in this task, and mice with a history of 1.6 g/L MA committed more working-memory incorrect errors and relied upon a non-spatial navigation strategy during the radial-arm maze testing. Relative to naïve controls, MA-experienced mice exhibited several changes in the expression of certain glutamate receptor-related proteins and their downstream effectors within the ventral and dorsal areas of the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala, many of which were sex-selective. Systemic pretreatment with the mGlu1-negative allosteric modulator JNJ 162596858 reversed the anxiety-like behavior expressed by MA-experienced mice in the marble-burying test, while systemic pretreatment with NMDA or the NMDA antagonist MK-801 bi-directionally affected the MA-induced reversal-learning deficit. Taken together, these data indicate that a relatively brief history of oral MA is sufficient to induce some signs of anxiety-like behavior and cognitive dysfunction during early withdrawal that reflect, at least in part, MA-induced changes in the corticolimbic expression of certain glutamate receptor subtypes of potential relevance to treating symptoms of MA use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. E. Denning
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (C.J.E.D.); (L.E.M.); (J.N.H.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Lauren E. Madory
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (C.J.E.D.); (L.E.M.); (J.N.H.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Jessica N. Herbert
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (C.J.E.D.); (L.E.M.); (J.N.H.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Ryan A. Cabrera
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (C.J.E.D.); (L.E.M.); (J.N.H.); (R.A.C.)
| | - Karen K. Szumlinski
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; (C.J.E.D.); (L.E.M.); (J.N.H.); (R.A.C.)
- Department of Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
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27
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Wei M, Yang L, Su F, Liu Y, Zhao X, Luo L, Sun X, Liu S, Dong Z, Zhang Y, Shi YS, Liang J, Zhang C. ABHD6 drives endocytosis of AMPA receptors to regulate synaptic plasticity and learning flexibility. Prog Neurobiol 2024; 233:102559. [PMID: 38159878 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2023.102559] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Trafficking of α-Amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors (AMPARs), mediated by AMPAR interacting proteins, enabled neurons to maintain tuning capabilities at rest or active state. α/β-Hydrolase domain-containing 6 (ABHD6), an endocannabinoid hydrolase, was an AMPAR auxiliary subunit found to negatively regulate the surface delivery of AMPARs. While ABHD6 was found to prevent AMPAR tetramerization in endoplasmic reticulum, ABHD6 was also reported to localize at postsynaptic site. Yet, the role of ABHD6 interacting with AMPAR at postsynaptic site, and the physiological significance of ABHD6 regulating AMPAR trafficking remains elusive. Here, we generated the ABHD6 knockout (ABHD6KO) mice and found that deletion of ABHD6 selectively enhanced AMPAR-mediated basal synaptic responses and the surface expression of postsynaptic AMPARs. Furthermore, we found that loss of ABHD6 impaired hippocampal long-term depression (LTD) and synaptic downscaling in hippocampal synapses. AMPAR internalization assays revealed that ABHD6 was essential for neuronal activity-dependent endocytosis of surface AMPARs, which is independent of ABHD6's hydrolase activity. The defects of AMPAR endocytosis and LTD are expressed as deficits in learning flexibility in ABHD6KO mice. Collectively, we demonstrated that ABHD6 is an endocytic accessory protein promoting AMPAR endocytosis, thereby contributes to the formation of LTD, synaptic downscaling and reversal learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengping Wei
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Lei Yang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Feng Su
- Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ying Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xinyi Zhao
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Lin Luo
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xinyue Sun
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Sen Liu
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zhaoqi Dong
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Neuroscience Research Institute, Key Lab for Neuroscience, Ministry of Education of China and National Health Commission of the PR China, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at PKU, Peking University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yun Stone Shi
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Model Animal for Disease Study, Model Animal Research Center, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210032, China
| | - Jing Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Chen Zhang
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100069, China; State Key Laboratory of Neurology and Oncology Drug Development, Nanjing 210000, Jiangsu, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
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28
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Dougherty EN, Bottera AR, Forester G, Schaefer LM, Forbes EE, Wildes JE. Prospective associations between cognitive flexibility and eating disorder symptoms in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Psychiatry Res 2024; 332:115717. [PMID: 38183925 PMCID: PMC10872327 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2024.115717] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 01/08/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated concurrent and prospective associations between measures of reversal learning and attentional set-shifting and eating disorder symptoms at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months among individuals with anorexia nervosa restricting subtype (AN-R, n = 26), AN binge eating/purging subtype (AN-BP, n = 22), bulimia nervosa (BN, n = 35), and healthy controls (n = 27), and explored whether these associations differed by diagnosis. At baseline, participants completed diagnostic interviews, height/weight measurements, and measures of set-shifting (the Intradimensional/Extradimensional shift task) and reversal learning (a probabilistic reversal learning task). At 3- and 6-month follow-up, participants with eating disorders completed assessments of weight and eating disorder symptoms. A one-way analysis of variance found no evidence that baseline reversal learning and attentional set-shifting differed across diagnostic groups. Multilevel modeling analyses indicated that perseverative errors (an index of reversal learning) predicted an increase in purging over time for individuals with AN-BP and BN. Set-shifting errors differentially predicted frequency of loss of control eating for individuals with AN-BP and BN; however, set-shifting was not related to loss of control eating when examined separately in AN-BP and BN. These findings suggest that disentangling facets of cognitive flexibility may help understand change in eating disorder symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth N Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States
| | - Angeline R Bottera
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, 1415 Jayhawk Blvd., Lawrence, KS 66045, United States
| | - Glen Forester
- Center for Biobehavioral Research, Sanford Research, 120 8th St. S, Fargo, ND 48103, United States
| | - Lauren M Schaefer
- Center for Biobehavioral Research, Sanford Research, 120 8th St. S, Fargo, ND 48103, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, 1301 N Columbia Rd Stop 9037, Grand Forks, ND 58202, United States
| | - Erika E Forbes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Jennifer E Wildes
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, 5841 S Maryland Ave, Chicago, IL 60637, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
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29
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Li JJ, Shi C, Li L, Collins AGE. Dynamic noise estimation: A generalized method for modeling noise fluctuations in decision-making. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.06.19.545524. [PMID: 38328176 PMCID: PMC10849494 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.19.545524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Computational cognitive modeling is an important tool for understanding the processes supporting human and animal decision-making. Choice data in decision-making tasks are inherently noisy, and separating noise from signal can improve the quality of computational modeling. Common approaches to model decision noise often assume constant levels of noise or exploration throughout learning (e.g., the ϵ -softmax policy). However, this assumption is not guaranteed to hold - for example, a subject might disengage and lapse into an inattentive phase for a series of trials in the middle of otherwise low-noise performance. Here, we introduce a new, computationally inexpensive method to dynamically infer the levels of noise in choice behavior, under a model assumption that agents can transition between two discrete latent states (e.g., fully engaged and random). Using simulations, we show that modeling noise levels dynamically instead of statically can substantially improve model fit and parameter estimation, especially in the presence of long periods of noisy behavior, such as prolonged attentional lapses. We further demonstrate the empirical benefits of dynamic noise estimation at the individual and group levels by validating it on four published datasets featuring diverse populations, tasks, and models. Based on the theoretical and empirical evaluation of the method reported in the current work, we expect that dynamic noise estimation will improve modeling in many decision-making paradigms over the static noise estimation method currently used in the modeling literature, while keeping additional model complexity and assumptions minimal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing-Jing Li
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, 94720, CA, United States
| | - Chengchun Shi
- Department of Statistics, London School of Economics and Political Science, 69 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4RR, United Kingdom
| | - Lexin Li
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, 94720, CA, United States
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of California, Berkeley, 2121 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, 94720, CA, United States
| | - Anne G E Collins
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, 175 Li Ka Shing Center, Berkeley, 94720, CA, United States
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, 94720, CA, United States
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30
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Apergis-Schoute AM, van der Flier FE, Ip SH, Kanen JW, Vaghi MM, Fineberg NA, Sahakian BJ, Cardinal RN, Robbins TW. Perseveration and Shifting in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder as a Function of Uncertainty, Punishment, and Serotonergic Medication. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:326-335. [PMID: 38298803 PMCID: PMC10829647 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The nature of cognitive flexibility deficits in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which historically have been tested with probabilistic reversal learning tasks, remains elusive. Here, a novel deterministic reversal task and inclusion of unmedicated patients in the study sample illuminated the role of fixed versus uncertain rules/contingencies and of serotonergic medication. Additionally, our understanding of probabilistic reversal was enhanced through theoretical computational modeling of cognitive flexibility in OCD. Methods We recruited 49 patients with OCD, 21 of whom were unmedicated, and 43 healthy control participants matched for age, IQ, and gender. Participants were tested on 2 tasks: a novel visuomotor deterministic reversal learning task with 3 reversals (feedback rewarding/punishing/neutral) measuring accuracy/perseveration and a 2-choice visual probabilistic reversal learning task with uncertain feedback and a single reversal measuring win-stay and lose-shift. Bayesian computational modeling provided measures of learning rate, reinforcement sensitivity, and stimulus stickiness. Results Unmedicated patients with OCD were impaired on the deterministic reversal task under punishment only at the first and third reversals compared with both control participants and medicated patients with OCD, who had no deficit. Perseverative errors were correlated with OCD severity. On the probabilistic reversal task, unmedicated patients were only impaired at reversal, whereas medicated patients were impaired at both the learning and reversal stages. Computational modeling showed that the overall change was reduced feedback sensitivity in both OCD groups. Conclusions Both perseveration and increased shifting can be observed in OCD, depending on test conditions including the predictability of reinforcement. Perseveration was related to clinical severity and remediated by serotonergic medication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemieke M. Apergis-Schoute
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Febe E. van der Flier
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha H.Y. Ip
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Centre for Cancer Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- British Heart Foundation Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart and Lung Research Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jonathan W. Kanen
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Matilde M. Vaghi
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Naomi A. Fineberg
- Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, National Health Service, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Barbara J. Sahakian
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Rudolf N. Cardinal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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31
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Leimar O, Quiñones AE, Bshary R. Flexible learning in complex worlds. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arad109. [PMID: 38162692 PMCID: PMC10756056 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad109] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility can enhance the ability to adjust to changing environments. Here, we use learning simulations to investigate the possible advantages of flexible learning in volatile (changing) environments. We compare two established learning mechanisms, one with constant learning rates and one with rates that adjust to volatility. We study an ecologically relevant case of volatility, based on observations of developing cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus that experience a transition from a simpler to a more complex foraging environment. There are other similar transitions in nature, such as migrating to a new and different habitat. We also examine two traditional approaches to volatile environments in experimental psychology and behavioral ecology: reversal learning, and learning set formation (consisting of a sequence of different discrimination tasks). These provide experimental measures of cognitive flexibility. Concerning transitions to a complex world, we show that both constant and flexible learning rates perform well, losing only a small proportion of available rewards in the period after a transition, but flexible rates perform better than constant rates. For reversal learning, flexible rates improve the performance with each successive reversal because of increasing learning rates, but this does not happen for constant rates. For learning set formation, we find no improvement in performance with successive shifts to new stimuli to discriminate for either flexible or constant learning rates. Flexible learning rates might thus explain increasing performance in reversal learning but not in learning set formation, and this can shed light on the nature of cognitive flexibility in a given system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olof Leimar
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden and
| | - Andrés E Quiñones
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Mollusky A, Reynolds-Lallement N, Lee D, Zhong JY, Magnusson KR. Investigating the effects of age and prior military service on fluid and crystallized cognitive functions using virtual morris water maze (vMWM) and NIH Toolbox tasks. Arch Gerontol Geriatr 2024; 116:105156. [PMID: 37604015 DOI: 10.1016/j.archger.2023.105156] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Much of current knowledge of aging involves war veterans and research about age-related cognitive changes in veterans involves generalized or single function tests or health or neurological disorders. The current study examined military service within the context of comparisons of young and old humans involving generally healthy individuals to address normal age-associated cognitive changes. Adult participants included 11 young females (8 non-veterans; 3 veterans; 21-31 years), 5 young males (non-veterans, 21-24 years), 9 older females (non-veterans, 62-80 years), and 21 older males (11 non-veterans; 10 veterans; 60-86 years). They were tested in virtual Morris water maze (vMWM) tasks, which were designed to test spatial learning, cognitive flexibility and working memory, similar to rodent studies, and were validated by correlations with specific NIH Toolbox (NIH-TB) Cognitive Battery or Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS) Logical Memory I and II tests. Significant age-related deficits were seen on multiple vMWM tasks and NIH-TB fluid cognition tasks. Among older males, vMWM tasks appeared to be more sensitive, based on finding statistical differences, to prior military service than NIH Toolbox tasks. Compared with male non-veterans of comparable age and younger, older male veterans exhibited significant deficits in spatial learning, cognitive flexibility, and working memory on vMWM tasks. Our findings support continued development and characterization of vMWM tasks that are comparable between rodents and humans for translating aging interventions between species, and provide impetus for larger investigations examining the extent to which prior military service can serve as a "hidden" variable in normal biological declines of cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adina Mollusky
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Nadjalisse Reynolds-Lallement
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Dylan Lee
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States
| | - Jimmy Y Zhong
- Department of Psychology, School of Social and Health Sciences, James Cook University, Australia (Singapore campus), Singapore 387380, Singapore; College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Australia (Singapore campus), Singapore 387380, Singapore; Georgia State/Georgia Tech Center for Advanced Brain Imaging (CABI), Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30318, United States
| | - Kathy R Magnusson
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Carlson College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, United States.
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Tranter MM, Faget L, Hnasko TS, Powell SB, Dillon DG, Barnes SA. Postnatal Phencyclidine-Induced Deficits in Decision Making Are Ameliorated by Optogenetic Inhibition of Ventromedial Orbitofrontal Cortical Glutamate Neurons. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:264-274. [PMID: 38298783 PMCID: PMC10829674 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) is essential for decision making, and functional disruptions within the OFC are evident in schizophrenia. Postnatal phencyclidine (PCP) administration in rats is a neurodevelopmental manipulation that induces schizophrenia-relevant cognitive impairments. We aimed to determine whether manipulating OFC glutamate cell activity could ameliorate postnatal PCP-induced deficits in decision making. Methods Male and female Wistar rats (n = 110) were administered saline or PCP on postnatal days 7, 9, and 11. In adulthood, we expressed YFP (yellow fluorescent protein) (control), ChR2 (channelrhodopsin-2) (activation), or eNpHR 3.0 (enhanced halorhodopsin) (inhibition) in glutamate neurons within the ventromedial OFC (vmOFC). Rats were tested on the probabilistic reversal learning task once daily for 20 days while we manipulated the activity of vmOFC glutamate cells. Behavioral performance was analyzed using a Q-learning computational model of reinforcement learning. Results Compared with saline-treated rats expressing YFP, PCP-treated rats expressing YFP completed fewer reversals, made fewer win-stay responses, and had lower learning rates. We induced similar performance impairments in saline-treated rats by activating vmOFC glutamate cells (ChR2). Strikingly, PCP-induced performance deficits were ameliorated when the activity of vmOFC glutamate cells was inhibited (halorhodopsin). Conclusions Postnatal PCP-induced deficits in decision making are associated with hyperactivity of vmOFC glutamate cells. Thus, normalizing vmOFC activity may represent a potential therapeutic target for decision-making deficits in patients with schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M. Tranter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Lauren Faget
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Thomas S. Hnasko
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Susan B. Powell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
| | - Daniel G. Dillon
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Samuel A. Barnes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California
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Bast T, Grasmeder Allen R, Maggi S, Renstrom J. Impaired reversal learning in the Dlg2+/- rat model of genetic risk for psychiatric disorder: Important questions regarding the neuro-behavioral mechanisms of reversal learning. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12870. [PMID: 38123893 PMCID: PMC10733561 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
In this issue, Griesius et al report that heterozygous Dlg2+/- rats showed a reversal learning impairment on a specific bowl-digging task, whereas other reversal tasks were unaffected. The study suggests that Dlg2 gene disruption, which has been linked to neuropsychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, may cause relatively specific impairments in reversal learning, an important aspect of cognitive flexibility. The study draws attention to two important issues regarding the neuro-behavioral mechanisms of reversal learning, namely that hippocampal dysfunction, which is prominent in Dlg2+/- rats, may contribute to reversal learning impairments and that, depending on the task and previous experience, brain and behavioral mechanisms of reversal learning may differ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Bast
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience@NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | | | - Silvia Maggi
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience@NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
| | - Jacco Renstrom
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience@NottinghamUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamUK
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Griesius S, Waldron S, Kamenish KA, Cherbanich N, Wilkinson LS, Thomas KL, Hall J, Mellor JR, Dwyer DM, Robinson ESJ. A mild impairment in reversal learning in a bowl-digging substrate deterministic task but not other cognitive tests in the Dlg2+/- rat model of genetic risk for psychiatric disorder. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2023; 22:e12865. [PMID: 37705179 PMCID: PMC10733576 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Variations in the Dlg2 gene have been linked to increased risk for psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, intellectual disability, bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and pubertal disorders. Recent studies have reported disrupted brain circuit function and behaviour in models of Dlg2 knockout and haploinsufficiency. Specifically, deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity were found in heterozygous Dlg2+/- rats suggesting impacts on hippocampal dependent learning and cognitive flexibility. Here, we tested these predicted effects with a behavioural characterisation of the heterozygous Dlg2+/- rat model. Dlg2+/- rats exhibited a specific, mild impairment in reversal learning in a substrate deterministic bowl-digging reversal learning task. The performance of Dlg2+/- rats in other bowl digging task, visual discrimination and reversal, novel object preference, novel location preference, spontaneous alternation, modified progressive ratio, and novelty-suppressed feeding test were not impaired. These findings suggest that despite altered brain circuit function, behaviour across different domains is relatively intact in Dlg2+/- rats, with the deficits being specific to only one test of cognitive flexibility. The specific behavioural phenotype seen in this Dlg2+/- model may capture features of the clinical presentation associated with variation in the Dlg2 gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simonas Griesius
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUK
| | - Sophie Waldron
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, PsychologyCardiffUK
- Department of PsychologyCardiffUK
| | - Katie A. Kamenish
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUK
| | - Nick Cherbanich
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUK
| | - Lawrence S. Wilkinson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, PsychologyCardiffUK
- Department of PsychologyCardiffUK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and PsychologyCardiffUK
| | - Kerrie L. Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, PsychologyCardiffUK
- Department of Medicine and PsychologyCardiffUK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, PsychologyCardiffUK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and Genetics and Genomics, Schools of Medicine and PsychologyCardiffUK
- Department of Medicine and PsychologyCardiffUK
| | - Jack R. Mellor
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUK
| | - Dominic M. Dwyer
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, PsychologyCardiffUK
- Department of PsychologyCardiffUK
| | - Emma S. J. Robinson
- Centre for Synaptic Plasticity, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol, University WalkBristolUK
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KLOCKE B, MOORE C, OTT H, PITYCHOUTIS PM. Chronic pharmacological activation of SERCA with CDN1163 affects spatial cognitive flexibility but not attention and impulsivity in mice. Behav Pharmacol 2023; 34:477-487. [PMID: 37917567 PMCID: PMC10624114 DOI: 10.1097/fbp.0000000000000756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis is critical for many neural processes, including learning, memory and synaptic plasticity. The sarco-endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA) is among the key regulators that preserve Ca2+ homeostasis in neurons. SERCAs comprise a set of ubiquitously expressed Ca2+ pumps that primarily function to sequester cytosolic Ca2+ into endoplasmic reticular stores. As SERCA has been implicated in the neurobiology of several neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, pharmacological harnessing of its function is critical in understanding SERCA's role in brain physiology and pathophysiology. In the current study, we employed the Morris water maze and 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) to investigate the effects of chronic pharmacological activation of SERCA, using the small allosteric SERCA activator CDN1163, on spatial learning and memory, and executive functioning in naive C57BL/6J mice. Our data show that chronic pharmacological SERCA activation with CDN1163 (20 mg/kg) selectively impairs spatial cognitive flexibility and reversal learning in the Morris water maze while leaving executive functions such as attention and impulsivity intact. Present findings contribute to the growing field of the role of SERCA function in the brain and behavior and expand current knowledge on the use of the small allosteric activator CDN1163 as an investigational tool to study the role of SERCA in regulating neurobehavioral processes and as a potential therapeutic candidate for debilitating brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin KLOCKE
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
| | - Carter MOORE
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
| | - Hayden OTT
- Department of Biology, University of Dayton, Dayton, Ohio 45469, USA
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Traina G, Tuszynski JA. The Neurotransmission Basis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders by the Fear Conditioning Paradigm. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16327. [PMID: 38003517 PMCID: PMC10671801 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242216327] [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: 10/13/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning constitutes the best and most reproducible paradigm to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotions. On the other hand, studies on the synaptic plasticity phenomena underlying fear conditioning present neural circuits enforcing this learning pattern related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Notably, in both humans and the rodent model, fear conditioning and context rely on dependent neurocircuitry in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, cingulate gyrus, and hippocampus. In this review, an overview of the role that classical neurotransmitters play in the contextual conditioning model of fear, and therefore in PTSD, was reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Traina
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via Romana, 06126 Perugia, Italy
| | - Jack A. Tuszynski
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS), Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca Degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Turin, Italy;
- Department of Data Science and Engineering, The Silesian University of Technology, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
- Department of Physics, University of Alberta, 11335 Saskatchewan Dr NW, Edmonton, AB T6G 2M9, Canada
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McCallum E, Shaw RC. Repeatability and heritability of inhibitory control performance in wild toutouwai ( Petroica longipes). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231476. [PMID: 38026029 PMCID: PMC10646466 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing interest in the evolution of inhibitory control, few studies have examined the validity of widespread testing paradigms, the long-term repeatability and the heritability of this cognitive ability in the wild. We investigated these aspects in the inhibitory control performance of wild toutouwai (North Island robin; Petroica longipes), using detour and reversal learning tasks. We assessed convergent validity by testing whether individual performance correlated across detour and reversal learning tasks. We then further evaluated task validity by examining whether individual performance was confounded by non-cognitive factors. We tested a subset of subjects twice in each task to estimate the repeatability of performance across a 1-year period. Finally, we used a population pedigree to estimate the heritability of task performance. Individual performance was unrelated across detour and reversal learning tasks, indicating that these measured different cognitive abilities. Task performance was not influenced by body condition, boldness or prior experience, and showed moderate between-year repeatability. Yet despite this individual consistency, we found no evidence that task performance was heritable. Our findings suggest that detour and reversal learning tasks measure consistent individual differences in distinct forms of inhibitory control in toutouwai, but this variation may be environmentally determined rather than genetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ella McCallum
- School of Biological Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Rachael C. Shaw
- School of Biological Sciences, Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Nojiri E, Takase K. Understanding Sensory-Motor Disorders in Autism Spectrum Disorders by Extending Hebbian Theory: Formation of a Rigid-Autonomous Phase Sequence. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231202674. [PMID: 37910043 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231202674] [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: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. The symptoms invariably appear in early childhood and cause significant impairment in social, occupational, and other important functions. Various abnormalities in the genetic, neurological, and endocrine systems of patients with autism spectrum disorder have been reported as the etiology; however, no clear factor leading to the onset of the disease has been identified. Additionally, higher order cognitive dysfunctions, which are represented by a lack of theory of mind, sensorimotor disorders, and memory-related disorders (e.g., flashbacks), have been reported in recent years, but no theoretical framework has been proposed to explain these behavioral abnormalities. In this study, we extended Hebb's biopsychology theory to provide a theoretical framework that comprehensively explains the various behavioral abnormalities observed in autism spectrum disorder. Specifically, we propose that a wide range of symptoms in autism spectrum disorder may be caused by the formation of a rigid-autonomous phase sequence (RAPS) in the brain. Using the RAPS formation theory, we propose a biopsychological mechanism that could be a target for the treatment of autism spectrum disorders.
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Mata-Marín D, Redgrave P, Obeso I. The Impact of Emotions on Habitual Inhibition. J Cogn Neurosci 2023; 35:1868-1878. [PMID: 37677064 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02050] [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: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
Emotional information prioritizes human behavior. How much emotions influence ongoing behavior critically depends on the extent of executive control functions in a given context. One form of executive control is based on stimulus-stop associations (i.e., habitual inhibition) that rapidly and effortlessly elicits control over the interruption of ongoing behavior. So far, no behavioral accounts have explored the emotional impact on habitual inhibition. We aimed to examine the emotional modulation on habitual inhibition and associated psycho-physiological changes. A go/no-go association task asked participants to learn stimulus-stop and stimulus-response associations during 10-day training to form habitual inhibition (without emotional interference). Probabilistic feedback guided learning with varying probabilities of congruent feedback, generating stronger versus weaker pairings. A reversal test measured habitual inhibition strength counteracted by emotional cues (high-arousal positive and negative stimuli compared with neutral ones). Our training protocol induced stable behavioral and psycho-physiological responses compatible with habitual behavior. At reversal, habitual inhibition was evident as marked by significant speed costs of reversed no-go trials for strongly associated stimuli. Positive and negative emotional cues produced larger impact on habitual inhibition. We report first evidence on a cognitive control mechanism that is vulnerable to emotional stimuli and suggest alternative explanations on how emotions may boost or counteract certain behavioral abnormalities mediated by habitual inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mata-Marín
- Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Spain
- Autonoma de Madrid University-Cajal Institute, Spain
| | | | - Ignacio Obeso
- Hospital Universitario HM Puerta del Sur, Spain
- Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
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Tomasek M, Stark M, Dufour V, Jordan A. Cognitive flexibility in a Tanganyikan bower-building cichlid, Aulonocranus dewindti. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1959-1971. [PMID: 37851187 PMCID: PMC10770232 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01830-w] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive flexibility, the ability to modify one's decision rules to adapt to a new situation, has been extensively studied in many species. In fish, though, data on cognitive flexibility are scarce, especially in the wild. We studied a lekking species of cichlid fish in Lake Tanganyika, Aulonocranus dewindti. Males create sand bowers as spawning sites and maintain them by removing any objects falling into it. In the first part of our experiment, we investigated the existence of spontaneous decision rules for the maintenance of the bowers. We showed that if a snail shell and a stone are placed in their bower, fish prefer to remove the shell first. In the second phase of our experiment, we took advantage of this spontaneous decision rule to investigate whether this rule was flexible. We tested five individuals in a choice against preference task, in which the fish had to modify their preference rule and remove the stone first to be allowed to then remove the shell and have a clean bower. While there was no overall trend towards flexibility in this task, there was variation at an individual level. Some individuals increased their preference for removing the shell first, deciding quickly and with little exploration of the objects. Others were more successful at choosing against preference and showed behaviours suggesting self-regulatory inhibition abilities. Bower-building cichlids could therefore be a promising model to study cognitive flexibility, and other aspects of animal cognition in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maëlan Tomasek
- Cognitive and Social Ethology Team, UMR 7247, PRC, BAT 40, Campus CNRS, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 23 Rue de Loess, 67037, Strasbourg, France.
- University of Konstanz, 78464, Constance, Germany.
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, 78467, Constance, Germany.
| | - Midori Stark
- University of Konstanz, 78464, Constance, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, 78467, Constance, Germany
| | - Valérie Dufour
- Cognitive and Social Ethology Team, UMR 7247, PRC, BAT 40, Campus CNRS, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, 23 Rue de Loess, 67037, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alex Jordan
- University of Konstanz, 78464, Constance, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, 78467, Constance, Germany
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Ye J, Garrison KA, Lacadie C, Potenza MN, Sinha R, Goldfarb EV, Scheinost D. Network state dynamics underpin craving in a transdiagnostic population. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.10.03.23296454. [PMID: 37873309 PMCID: PMC10593000 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.03.23296454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Emerging fMRI brain dynamic methods present a unique opportunity to capture how brain region interactions across time give rise to evolving affective and motivational states. As the unfolding experience and regulation of affective states affect psychopathology and well-being, it is important to elucidate their underlying time-varying brain responses. Here, we developed a novel framework to identify network states specific to an affective state of interest and examine how their instantaneous engagement contributed to its experience. This framework investigated network state dynamics underlying craving, a clinically meaningful and changeable state. In a transdiagnostic sample of healthy controls and individuals diagnosed with or at risk for craving-related disorders (N=252), we utilized connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM) to identify craving-predictive edges. An edge-centric timeseries approach was leveraged to quantify the instantaneous engagement of the craving-positive and craving-negative networks during independent scan runs. Individuals with higher craving persisted longer in a craving-positive network state while dwelling less in a craving-negative network state. We replicated the latter results externally in an independent group of healthy controls and individuals with alcohol use disorder exposed to different stimuli during the scan (N=173). The associations between craving and network state dynamics can still be consistently observed even when craving-predictive edges were instead identified in the replication dataset. These robust findings suggest that variations in craving-specific network state recruitment underpin individual differences in craving. Our framework additionally presents a new avenue to explore how the moment-to-moment engagement of behaviorally meaningful network states supports our changing affective experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Ye
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine
| | | | - Cheryl Lacadie
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine
| | - Marc N. Potenza
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine
- Connecticut Mental Health Center
- Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine
| | - Elizabeth V. Goldfarb
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Psychology, Yale University
- National Center for PTSD
| | - Dustin Scheinost
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University
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Young MK, Conn KA, Das J, Zou S, Alexander S, Burne TH, Kesby JP. Activity in the Dorsomedial Striatum Underlies Serial Reversal Learning Performance Under Probabilistic Uncertainty. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1030-1041. [PMID: 37881585 PMCID: PMC10593872 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.005] [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: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Corticostriatal circuits, particularly the dorsomedial striatum (DMS) and lateral orbitofrontal cortex, are critical for navigating reversal learning under probabilistic uncertainty. These same areas are implicated in the reversal learning impairments observed in individuals with psychosis as well as their psychotic symptoms, suggesting that they may share a common neurobiological substrate. To address this question, we used psychostimulant exposure and specific activation of the DMS during reversal learning in mice to assess corticostriatal activity. Methods We used amphetamine treatment to induce psychosis-relevant neurobiology in male mice during reversal learning and to examine pathway-specific corticostriatal activation. To determine the causal role of DMS activity, we used chemogenetics to drive midbrain inputs during a range of probabilistic contingencies. Results Mice treated with amphetamine showed altered punishment learning, which was associated with decreased shifting after losses and increased perseverative errors after reversals. Reversal learning performance and strategies were dependent on increased activity in lateral orbitofrontal cortex to DMS circuits as well as in the DMS itself. Specific activation of midbrain to DMS circuits also decreased shifting after losses and reversal learning performance. However, these alterations were dependent on the probabilistic contingency. Conclusions Our work suggests that the DMS plays a multifaceted role in reversal learning. Increasing DMS activity impairs multiple reversal learning processes dependent on the level of uncertainty, confirming its role in the maintenance and selection of incoming cortical inputs. Together, these outcomes suggest that elevated dopamine levels in the DMS could contribute to decision-making impairments in individuals with psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison K. Young
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Kyna-Anne Conn
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Joyosmita Das
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simin Zou
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Suzy Alexander
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Thomas H.J. Burne
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - James P. Kesby
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
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44
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Le NM, Yildirim M, Wang Y, Sugihara H, Jazayeri M, Sur M. Mixtures of strategies underlie rodent behavior during reversal learning. PLoS Comput Biol 2023; 19:e1011430. [PMID: 37708113 PMCID: PMC10501641 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1011430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In reversal learning tasks, the behavior of humans and animals is often assumed to be uniform within single experimental sessions to facilitate data analysis and model fitting. However, behavior of agents can display substantial variability in single experimental sessions, as they execute different blocks of trials with different transition dynamics. Here, we observed that in a deterministic reversal learning task, mice display noisy and sub-optimal choice transitions even at the expert stages of learning. We investigated two sources of the sub-optimality in the behavior. First, we found that mice exhibit a high lapse rate during task execution, as they reverted to unrewarded directions after choice transitions. Second, we unexpectedly found that a majority of mice did not execute a uniform strategy, but rather mixed between several behavioral modes with different transition dynamics. We quantified the use of such mixtures with a state-space model, block Hidden Markov Model (block HMM), to dissociate the mixtures of dynamic choice transitions in individual blocks of trials. Additionally, we found that blockHMM transition modes in rodent behavior can be accounted for by two different types of behavioral algorithms, model-free or inference-based learning, that might be used to solve the task. Combining these approaches, we found that mice used a mixture of both exploratory, model-free strategies and deterministic, inference-based behavior in the task, explaining their overall noisy choice sequences. Together, our combined computational approach highlights intrinsic sources of noise in rodent reversal learning behavior and provides a richer description of behavior than conventional techniques, while uncovering the hidden states that underlie the block-by-block transitions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nhat Minh Le
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Murat Yildirim
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Neurosciences, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Yizhi Wang
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Hiroki Sugihara
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mehrdad Jazayeri
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Mriganka Sur
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Savidge LE, Bales KL. Possible effects of pair bonds on general cognition: Evidence from shared roles of dopamine. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105317. [PMID: 37442497 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105317] [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: 04/18/2023] [Revised: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Pair bonding builds on preexisting dopamine connectivity to help form and maintain the bond. The involvement of dopaminergic pathways in pair bonding has stimulated research linking pair bonds to other dopamine-dependent processes, like addiction and social cognition (Burkett & Young, 2012; Yetnikoff, Lavezzi, Reichard, & Zahm, 2014). Less studied is the relationship of pair bonding to non-social cognitive processes. The first half of this review will provide an overview of pair bonding and the role of dopamine within social processes. With a thorough review of the literature, the current study will identify the ways the dopaminergic pathways critical for pair bonding also overlap with cognitive processes. Highlighting dopamine as a key player in pair bonds and non-social cognition will provide evidence that pair bonding can alter general cognitive processes like attention, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and impulse control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Logan E Savidge
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States; California National Primate Research Center, United States.
| | - Karen L Bales
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, United States; California National Primate Research Center, United States; Department of Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, University of California, Davis, United States.
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46
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Loyant L, Waller BM, Micheletta J, Meunier H, Ballesta S, Joly M. Tolerant macaque species are less impulsive and reactive. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1453-1466. [PMID: 37245190 PMCID: PMC10442267 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory control, the inhibition of impulsive behaviours, is believed to be key in navigating a complex social environment. Species characterised by higher social tolerance, living in more complex groups, with more diverse relationships, face higher uncertainty regarding the outcome of social interactions and, therefore, would benefit from employing more inhibitory strategies. To date, little is known about the selective forces that favour the evolution of inhibitory control. In this study, we compared inhibitory control skills in three closely related macaque species which differ in their social tolerance style. We tested 66 macaques from two institutions (Macaca mulatta, low tolerance; M. fascicularis, medium tolerance; and M. tonkeana, high tolerance) using a battery of validated inhibitory control touchscreen tasks. Higher social tolerance was associated with enhanced inhibitory control performances. More tolerant species were less impulsive and less distracted by pictures of unknown conspecifics. Interestingly, we did not find evidence that social tolerance degree was associated with performance in reversal learning. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that evolution has promoted the development of socio-cognitive skills to cope with the demands related to the complexity of the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Loyant
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK.
| | - Bridget M Waller
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jérôme Micheletta
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Hélène Meunier
- UMR (7364), Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sébastien Ballesta
- UMR (7364), Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marine Joly
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
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Aramsirirujiwet Y, Leepasert T, Piamariya D, Thong-asa W. Benefits of Erinacines from Different Cultivate Formulas on Cognitive Deficits and Anxiety-Like Behaviour in Mice with Trimethyltin-Induced Toxicity. Trop Life Sci Res 2023; 34:165-183. [PMID: 37860101 PMCID: PMC10583843 DOI: 10.21315/tlsr2023.34.3.9] [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: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
We investigated the neurological effects of the varied erinacine composition of different mycelia cultures in mice with trimethyltin (TMT)-induced neurodegeneration. Forty male ICR mice were randomly divided into five groups of Sham-veh, TMT-veh, TMT-EME, TMT-EMR and TMT-EME/R. The TMT groups received 2.6 mg/kg one-time intraperitoneal injections of TMT. Oral dosages of 200 mg/kg erinacine combination from each Hericium erinaceus mycelia (EM) cultivated formula (100% eucalyptus wood [E], 100% rubber wood [R], or 40% eucalyptus wood/60% rubber wood [E/R]) were given for two weeks. Spatial learning, memory, flexibility, and anxious behaviour were evaluated alongside brain tissues' oxidative status and histological analyses. Erinacine composition from EME/R exhibited significant positive effects on spatial learning, memory, flexibility, and anxiety (p < 0.05). These findings emerged concurrently with the significant mitigation of hippocampal lipid peroxidation, CA1 hippocampal, cortical neuron, and corpus callosum white matter degeneration (p < 0.05). These neurological benefits were associated with the EME/R composition of erinacine A, C, D, G, H, I, K and R. The best neuroprotective effect against TMT-induced neurodegeneration in mice is offered by the EME/R erinacine composition according to its anti-lipid peroxidation, its nurturing effect on neuronal and white matter, and mitigation of behavioural deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaovapa Aramsirirujiwet
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Teerachart Leepasert
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Danita Piamariya
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Wachiryah Thong-asa
- Animal Toxicology and Physiology Specialty Research Unit (ATPSRU), Physiology Division, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, 50 Ngamwongwan Rd, Lat Yao, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
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Alwood JS, Mulavara AP, Iyer J, Mhatre SD, Rosi S, Shelhamer M, Davis C, Jones CW, Mao XW, Desai RI, Whitmire AM, Williams TJ. Circuits and Biomarkers of the Central Nervous System Relating to Astronaut Performance: Summary Report for a NASA-Sponsored Technical Interchange Meeting. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1852. [PMID: 37763256 PMCID: PMC10532466 DOI: 10.3390/life13091852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomarkers, ranging from molecules to behavior, can be used to identify thresholds beyond which performance of mission tasks may be compromised and could potentially trigger the activation of countermeasures. Identification of homologous brain regions and/or neural circuits related to operational performance may allow for translational studies between species. Three discussion groups were directed to use operationally relevant performance tasks as a driver when identifying biomarkers and brain regions or circuits for selected constructs. Here we summarize small-group discussions in tables of circuits and biomarkers categorized by (a) sensorimotor, (b) behavioral medicine and (c) integrated approaches (e.g., physiological responses). In total, hundreds of biomarkers have been identified and are summarized herein by the respective group leads. We hope the meeting proceedings become a rich resource for NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) and the community of researchers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Janani Iyer
- Universities Space Research Association (USRA), Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA
| | | | - Susanna Rosi
- Department of Physical Therapy & Rehabilitation Science, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
- Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA
| | - Mark Shelhamer
- Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Catherine Davis
- Department of Pharmacology and Molecular Therapeutics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
| | - Christopher W. Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiao Wen Mao
- Department of Basic Sciences, Division of Biomedical Engineering Sciences (BMES), Loma Linda University Health, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA
| | - Rajeev I. Desai
- Integrative Neurochemistry Laboratory, Behavioral Biology Program, McLean Hospital-Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
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49
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Jones SK, McCarthy DM, Stanwood GD, Schatschneider C, Bhide PG. Learning and memory deficits produced by aspartame are heritable via the paternal lineage. Sci Rep 2023; 13:14326. [PMID: 37652922 PMCID: PMC10471780 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41213-2] [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: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures produce heritable traits that can linger in the population for one or two generations. Millions of individuals consume substances such as artificial sweeteners daily that are declared safe by regulatory agencies without evaluation of their potential heritable effects. We show that consumption of aspartame, an FDA-approved artificial sweetener, daily for up to 16-weeks at doses equivalent to only 7-15% of the FDA recommended maximum daily intake value (equivalent to 2-4 small, 8 oz diet soda drinks per day) produces significant spatial learning and memory deficits in mice. Moreover, the cognitive deficits are transmitted to male and female descendants along the paternal lineage suggesting that aspartame's adverse cognitive effects are heritable, and that they are more pervasive than current estimates, which consider effects in the directly exposed individuals only. Traditionally, deleterious environmental exposures of pregnant and nursing women are viewed as risk factors for the health of future generations. Environmental exposures of men are not considered to pose similar risks. Our findings suggest that environmental exposures of men can produce adverse impact on cognitive function in future generations and demonstrate the need for considering heritable effects via the paternal lineage as part of the regulatory evaluations of artificial sweeteners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara K Jones
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Deirdre M McCarthy
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Gregg D Stanwood
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Christopher Schatschneider
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
- Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA
| | - Pradeep G Bhide
- Biomedical Sciences, Florida State University College of Medicine, 1115, West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Center for Brain Repair, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
- Program in Neuroscience, Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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50
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Deng Y, Song D, Ni J, Qing H, Quan Z. Reward prediction error in learning-related behaviors. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1171612. [PMID: 37662112 PMCID: PMC10471312 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1171612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Learning is a complex process, during which our opinions and decisions are easily changed due to unexpected information. But the neural mechanism underlying revision and correction during the learning process remains unclear. For decades, prediction error has been regarded as the core of changes to perception in learning, even driving the learning progress. In this article, we reviewed the concept of reward prediction error, and the encoding mechanism of dopaminergic neurons and the related neural circuities. We also discussed the relationship between reward prediction error and learning-related behaviors, including reversal learning. We then demonstrated the evidence of reward prediction error signals in several neurological diseases, including Parkinson's disease and addiction. These observations may help to better understand the regulatory mechanism of reward prediction error in learning-related behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujun Deng
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Da Song
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Junjun Ni
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Qing
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
- Department of Biology, Shenzhen MSU-BIT University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zhenzhen Quan
- Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine and Biotherapy, School of Life Science, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China
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