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Fang Q, Frohlich F. Dissection of neuronal circuits underlying sustained attention with the five-choice serial reaction time task. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105306. [PMID: 37419229 PMCID: PMC10517644 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105306] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Attention deficits are common in psychiatric and neurological disorders. The transdiagnostic nature of impaired attention suggests a common set of underlying neural circuits. Yet, there are no circuit-based treatments such as non-invasive brain stimulation currently available due to the lack of sufficiently delineated network targets. Therefore, to better treat attentional deficits, a comprehensive functional dissection of neural circuits underlying attention is imperative. This can be achieved by taking advantage of preclinical animal models and well-designed behavioral assays of attention. The resulting findings in turn can be translated to the development of novel interventions with the goal of advancing them to clinical practice. Here we show that the five-choice serial reaction time task has greatly facilitated the study of the neural circuits underlying attention in a well-controlled setting. We first introduce the task and then focus on its application in preclinical studies on sustained attention, especially in the context of state-of-the-art neuronal perturbations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi Fang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Flavio Frohlich
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Carolina Center for Neurostimulation, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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2
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Redding ZV, Sabol KE. Reduced attentional lapses in male rats following a combination treatment of low-dose D-serine and atomoxetine. J Psychopharmacol 2023; 37:204-215. [PMID: 36648101 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221149652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Goal-directed attention involves the selective processing of behaviorally relevant sensory information. This selective processing is thought to be supported by glutamatergic and noradrenergic systems. Pharmacotherapies that simultaneously target these systems could therefore be effective treatments for impaired attention. AIMS We first tested an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor co-agonist (D-serine) for effects on attention (processing speed and attentional lapses). NMDA receptor activation is thought to support noradrenergic effects on sensory processing; therefore, we tested a combination treatment comprising D-serine and a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (atomoxetine). METHODS D-serine was first tested in rats performing a two-choice visuospatial discrimination task. Combination treatments comprising relatively low doses of D-serine and atomoxetine were then tested in a separate group. RESULTS In experiment 1, D-serine reduced the skew of initiation time (IT) distributions (IT devmode) at the highest dose tested (300 mg/kg). In experiment 2, low-dose D-serine (125 mg/kg) had no effect, while low-dose atomoxetine (0.3 mg/kg) reduced IT devmode and slowed movement speed. Importantly, the combination of these relatively low doses of D-serine and atomoxetine reduced IT devmode more than either drug alone without further slowing movement speed. CONCLUSIONS IT devmode is thought to reflect attentional lapses; therefore, D-serine's effects on IT devmode suggest that NMDA receptors are involved in the preparatory deployment of attention. Greater effects following a combination of D-serine and atomoxetine suggest that preparatory attention can be facilitated by targeting glutamatergic and noradrenergic systems simultaneously. These results could inform the development of improved treatments for individuals with ADHD who experience abnormally high attentional lapses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach V Redding
- Department of Psychology, The University of Mississippi, University Park, MS, USA.,Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Karen E Sabol
- Department of Psychology, The University of Mississippi, University Park, MS, USA
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3
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Hervig MES, Toschi C, Petersen A, Vangkilde S, Gether U, Robbins TW. Theory of visual attention (TVA) applied to rats performing the 5-choice serial reaction time task: differential effects of dopaminergic and noradrenergic manipulations. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:41-58. [PMID: 36434307 PMCID: PMC9816296 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-022-06269-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Attention is compromised in many psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). While dopamine and noradrenaline systems have been implicated in ADHD, their exact role in attentional processing is yet unknown. OBJECTIVES We applied the theory of visual attention (TVA) model, adapted from human research, to the rat 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) to investigate catecholaminergic modulation of visual attentional processing in healthy subjects of high- and low-attention phenotypes. METHODS Rats trained on the standard 5CSRTT and tested with variable stimulus durations were treated systemically with noradrenergic and/or dopaminergic agents (atomoxetine, methylphenidate, amphetamine, phenylephrine and atipamezole). TVA modelling was applied to estimate visual processing speed for correct and incorrect visual perceptual categorisations, independent of motor reaction times, as measures of attentional capacity. RESULTS Atomoxetine and phenylephrine decreased response frequencies, including premature responses, increased omissions and slowed responding. In contrast, methylphenidate, amphetamine and atipamezole sped up responding and increased premature responses. Visual processing speed was also affected differentially. Atomoxetine and phenylephrine slowed, whereas methylphenidate and atipamezole sped up, visual processing, both for correct and incorrect categorisations. Amphetamine selectively improved visual processing for correct, though not incorrect, responses in high-attention rats only, possibly reflecting improved attention. CONCLUSIONS These data indicate that the application of TVA to the 5CSRTT provides an enhanced sensitivity to capturing attentional effects. Unexpectedly, we found overall slowing effects, including impaired visual processing, following drugs either increasing extracellular noradrenaline (atomoxetine) or activating the α1-adrenoceptor (phenylephrine), while also ameliorating premature responses (impulsivity). In contrast, amphetamine had potential pro-attentional effects by enhancing visual processing, probably due to central dopamine upregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona El-Sayed Hervig
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. .,Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
| | - Chiara Toschi
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anders Petersen
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe Vangkilde
- Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Gether
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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4
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Tsai CL, Chang YC, Pan CY, Wang TC, Ukropec J, Ukropcová B. Acute Effects of Different Exercise Intensities on Executive Function and Oculomotor Performance in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise vs. High-Intensity Interval Exercise. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:743479. [PMID: 34720993 PMCID: PMC8548419 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.743479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
A wealth of evidence has shown that a single bout of aerobic exercise can facilitate executive function. However, none of current studies on this topic have addressed whether the magnitude of the acute-exercise benefit on executive function and oculomotor performance is influenced by different aerobic exercise modes. The present study was thus aimed toward an investigation of the acute effects of high-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) vs. moderate-intensity continuous exercise (MICE) on executive-related oculomotor performance in healthy late middle-aged and older adults. Using a within-subject design, twenty-two participants completed a single bout of 30 min of HIIE, MICE, or a non-exercise-intervention (REST) session in a counterbalanced order. The behavioral [e.g., reaction times (RTs), coefficient of variation (CV) of the RT], and oculomotor (e.g., saccade amplitude, saccade latency, and saccadic peak velocity) indices were measured when participants performed antisaccade and prosaccade tasks prior to and after an intervention mode. The results showed that a 30-min single-bout of HIIE and MICE interventions shortened the RTs in the antisaccade task, with the null effect on the CV of the RT in the late middle-aged and older adults. In terms of oculomotor metrics, although the two exercise modes could not modify the performance in terms of saccade amplitudes and saccade latencies, the participants’ saccadic peak velocities while performing the oculomotor paradigm were significantly altered only following an acute HIIE intervention. The present findings suggested that a 30-min single-bout of HIIE and MICE interventions modulated post-exercise antisaccade control on behavioral performance (e.g., RTs). Nevertheless, the HIIE relative MICE mode appears to be a more effective aerobic exercise in terms of oculomotor control (e.g., saccadic peak velocities) in late middle-aged and older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Liang Tsai
- Institute of Physical Education, Health and Leisure Studies, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Chuan Chang
- Institute of Physical Education, Health and Leisure Studies, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Yu Pan
- Department of Physical Education, National Kaohsiung Normal University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tsai-Chiao Wang
- Institute of Physical Education, Health and Leisure Studies, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Jozef Ukropec
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Ukropcová
- Biomedical Research Center, Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Pathological Physiology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
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Chen TH, Chen YJ, Huang TS, Hsiao M, Lin CC, Liu YP. Does positive feeling lead to more impulsiveness? - Implication of previous rewarded experience on location-dependent motoric impulsivity. CHINESE J PHYSIOL 2021; 64:218-224. [PMID: 34708713 DOI: 10.4103/cjp.cjp_63_21] [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: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Positive feeling or rewarding experience is crucial for individuals to operative their cognitive activities via an outcome evaluation of incentive reinforcement. For a long time, rewarding process or outcome evaluation is assumed greatly influenced by neuronal construct that holds individuals' impulsiveness, a capacity to inhibit unwanted behaviors provoked in a given situation. In the present study, we proposed that the outcome evaluation or rewarding experience can influence the occurrence of impulsiveness too. We hypothesized that animals would be more likely to deliver impulsive action in the place where it was previously associated with reinforcing process, in which central dopamine may play an important role. By employing five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), we examined whether one of the five holes where rats made a correct response to get the reward would gain a higher probability to deliver premature or perseverative activities than other holes in the next trial of 5-CSRTT under baseline or longer waiting period condition. The effects of D1 receptor antagonist SCH23390 were also evaluated in the above paradigm. We demonstrated that (i) the influence on motoric impulsive response from previous rewarded experience can be described in a behavioral paradigm such as the 5-CSRTT, (ii) both prematures and perseverations at the hole associated with previous rewarding were about one-fifth of probability, however were statistically not correlated unless the interventions of inter-trial interval = 7 plus SCH23390, and (iii) the hole associated with the positive reinforcement of the 5-CSRTT appears more likely for rats to carry out an intuitive impetus under SCH23390 in a longer waiting condition. Our results may shed some insight toward the role of rewarding process in impulsive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsung-Hua Chen
- Department of Physiology, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Jung Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Hualien Armed Forces General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Teng-Shun Huang
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Michael Hsiao
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Cheng Lin
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Defense Medical Center; Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yia-Ping Liu
- Department of Physiology, Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience, National Defense Medical Center; Department of Psychiatry, Cheng Hsin General Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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6
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Holland N, Robbins TW, Rowe JB. The role of noradrenaline in cognition and cognitive disorders. Brain 2021; 144:2243-2256. [PMID: 33725122 PMCID: PMC8418349 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awab111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Many aspects of cognition and behaviour are regulated by noradrenergic projections to the forebrain originating from the locus coeruleus, acting through alpha and beta adrenoreceptors. Loss of these projections is common in neurodegenerative diseases and contributes to their cognitive and behavioural deficits. We review the evidence for a noradrenergic modulation of cognition in its contribution to Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other cognitive disorders. We discuss the advances in human imaging and computational methods that quantify the locus coeruleus and its function in humans, and highlight the potential for new noradrenergic treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negin Holland
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - James B Rowe
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 7EF, UK
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7
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Li S, May C, Hannan AJ, Johnson KA, Burrows EL. Assessing attention orienting in mice: a novel touchscreen adaptation of the Posner-style cueing task. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:432-441. [PMID: 33007776 PMCID: PMC7853131 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00873-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Atypical attention orienting has been found to be impaired in many neuropsychological disorders, but the underlying neural mechanism remains unclear. Attention can be oriented exogenously (i.e., driven by salient stimuli) or endogenously (i.e., driven by one's goals or intentions). Genetic mouse models are useful tools to investigate the neurobiology of cognition, but a well-established assessment of attention orienting in mice is missing. This study aimed to adapt the Posner task, a widely used attention orienting task in humans, for use in mice using touchscreen technology and to test the effects of two attention-modulating drugs, methylphenidate (MPH) and atomoxetine (ATX), on the performance of mice during this task. In accordance with human performance, mice responded more quickly and more accurately to validly cued targets compared to invalidly cued targets, thus supporting mice as a valid animal model to study the neural mechanisms of attention orienting. This is the first evidence that mice can be trained to voluntarily maintain their nose-poke on a touchscreen and to complete attention orienting tasks using exogenous peripheral cues and endogenous symbolic cues. The results also showed no significant effects of MPH and ATX on attention orienting, although MPH improved overall response times in mice during the exogenous orienting task. In summary, the current study provides a critical translational task for assessing attention orienting in mice and to investigate the effects of attention-modulating drugs on attention orienting.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Li
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - C. May
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - A. J. Hannan
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia ,grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XDepartment of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - K. A. Johnson
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XMelbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - E. L. Burrows
- grid.1008.90000 0001 2179 088XFlorey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010 Australia
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8
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Moazen P, Torabi M, Azizi H, Fathollahi Y, Mirnajafi-Zadeh J, Semnanian S. The locus coeruleus noradrenergic system gates deficits in visual attention induced by chronic pain. Behav Brain Res 2020; 387:112600. [PMID: 32198106 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2020] [Revised: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Despite years of research on pain comorbidity with affective disorders and cognitive deficits, it is still unclear how deficit in attention co-occurs with chronic pain. It is likely that altered neuroplasticity and or dysregulated neurotransmitters induced by chronic pain, at which pain and cognitive processing systems overlap, may have a negative effect on cognitive processing such as attention. One of the main common networks involved in attentional and pain processing is the noradrenergic system originating from the locus coeruleus (LC). We hypothesized that heightened noradrenaline release from LC induced by chronic pain could cause a deficit in visual attention. For this purpose, performance on the 5-choice serial reaction time test (5-CSRTT) was tested in animals with and without a chronic constriction injury and a selective depletion of noradrenaline in the LC. In addition, pain sensitivity was measured via mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia. We found that the increase in pain sensitivity following chronic pain correlates with a decline in executive functions as measured by 5-CSRTT. This was true in conditions of both low and high attentional demand. Interestingly, a selective depletion of noradrenaline in LC improved the attentional deficits caused by chronic pain. We argue that changes to the noradrenergic system originating in LC can improve deficits in visual attention induced by chronic pain. Deficit in attention is a common comorbidity among patients with chronic pain which adversely affects them in their family and work lives. Patients struggle with functional impairment due to pain, and deficite in attention adds to this dysfunction. Our findings identify the NE-LC system as a key mediator between chronic pain and the attentional deficits associated with this. This finding calls for further investigations concerning treatments related to the noradrenergic system to reduce the malicious effects of chronic pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Moazen
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mona Torabi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaghoub Fathollahi
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Javad Mirnajafi-Zadeh
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Semnanian
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.
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9
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Abstract
Neuropharmacological interventions in preclinical translational models of impulsivity have tremendously contributed to a better understanding of the neurochemistry and neural basis of impulsive behaviour. In this regard, much progress has been made over the last years, also due to the introduction of novel techniques in behavioural neuroscience such as optogenetics and chemogenetics. In this chapter, we will provide an update of how the behavioural pharmacology field has progressed and built upon existing data since an earlier review we wrote in 2008. To this aim, we will first give a brief background on preclinical translational models of impulsivity. Next, recent interesting evidence of monoaminergic modulation of impulsivity will be highlighted with a focus on the neurotransmitters dopamine and noradrenaline. Finally, we will close the chapter by discussing some novel directions and drug leads in the neuropharmacological modulation of impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tommy Pattij
- Department of Anatomy and Neurosciences, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Louk J M J Vanderschuren
- Division of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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10
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Redding ZV, Chawla P, Sabol KE. The use of reaction time distributions to study attention in male rats: the effects of atomoxetine and guanfacine. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2019; 236:3579-3592. [PMID: 31321458 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-019-05329-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Norepinephrine (NE) is involved in the control of sustained attention. Studies of sustained attention in humans include measures of reaction time (RT) and RT variability (RTV). The present study tested the role of NE using components of the RT distribution in rats in a manner thought to be similar to human studies of RTV. OBJECTIVES This study tested the effects of increased synaptic NE (atomoxetine (ATX)) and α-2 receptor binding (guanfacine) on attentional lapses in rats. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 20) were trained and tested in a two-choice RT task (2CRTT). Atomoxetine dose (saline, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0 mg/kg, i.p.), guanfacine dose (saline, 0.01, 0.1, 0.3 mg/kg, i.p.), and distractors were manipulated in three experiments. RT was divided into initiation time (IT) and movement time (MT). Analyses of distribution mode (peak) and deviation from the mode (skew) were then performed. RESULTS ATX and guanfacine had no effect on IT mode, reduced IT devmode, and increased MT mode. When distractors were introduced, ATX again improved devmode, but a lack of interaction between ATX and distractor indicated that ATX did not prevent distractor-induced impairments. CONCLUSIONS IT devmode is a measure of distribution skew thought to reflect lapses of attention. The effects of ATX on IT devmode suggest that increased synaptic NE reduces attentional lapses. These findings are consistent with human reports of reduced RTV after ATX administration. The same pattern of results with guanfacine suggests that the effects of increased NE are due in part to binding at α-2 noradrenergic receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zach V Redding
- Department of Psychology, The University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, University, MS, 38677, USA
| | - Pooja Chawla
- Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, Richmond, VA, USA
| | - Karen E Sabol
- Department of Psychology, The University of Mississippi, PO Box 1848, University, MS, 38677, USA.
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Nishitomi K, Yano K, Kobayashi M, Jino K, Kano T, Horiguchi N, Shinohara S, Hasegawa M. Systemic administration of guanfacine improves food-motivated impulsive choice behavior primarily via direct stimulation of postsynaptic α 2A-adrenergic receptors in rats. Behav Brain Res 2018; 345:21-29. [PMID: 29476896 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive choice behavior, which can be assessed using the delay discounting task, is a characteristic of various psychiatric disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Guanfacine is a selective α2A-adrenergic receptor agonist that is clinically effective in treating ADHD. However, there is no clear evidence that systemic guanfacine administration reduces impulsive choice behavior in the delay discounting task in rats. In the present study, we examined the effect of systemic guanfacine administration on food-motivated impulsive choice behavior in rats and the neuronal mechanism underlying this effect. Repeated administration of either guanfacine, methylphenidate, or atomoxetine significantly enhanced impulse control, increasing the number of times the rats chose a large but delayed reward in a dose-dependent manner. The effect of guanfacine was significantly blocked by pretreatment with an α2A-adrenergic receptor antagonist. Furthermore, the effect of guanfacine remained unaffected in rats pretreated with a selective noradrenergic neurotoxin, consistent with a post-synaptic action. In contrast, the effect of atomoxetine on impulsive choice behavior was attenuated by pretreatment with the noradrenergic neurotoxin. These results provide the first evidence that systemically administered guanfacine reduces impulsive choice behavior in rats and that direct stimulation of postsynaptic, rather than presynaptic, α2A-adrenergic receptors is involved in this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kouhei Nishitomi
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan.
| | - Koji Yano
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Mika Kobayashi
- Drug Efficacy Evaluation Services 3, Drug Efficacy Evaluation and Research Technology Service, Shionogi Techno Advance Research Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Kohei Jino
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Takuya Kano
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Naotaka Horiguchi
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shunji Shinohara
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
| | - Minoru Hasegawa
- Pain & Neuroscience, Drug Discovery & Disease Research Laboratory, Shionogi Co. Ltd., Toyonaka, Osaka, Japan
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12
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Hauser J, Reissmann A, Sontag TA, Tucha O, Lange KW. Effects of atomoxetine on attention in Wistar rats treated with the neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4). ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 9:253-262. [DOI: 10.1007/s12402-017-0225-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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13
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Hauser J, Reissmann A, Sontag TA, Tucha O, Lange KW. Effects of methylphenidate on attention in Wistar rats treated with the neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4). J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2017; 124:643-654. [PMID: 28110352 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-017-1679-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the neurotoxin N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine (DSP4) on attention in rats as measured using the 5-choice-serial-reaction-time task (5CSRTT) and to investigate whether methylphenidate has effects on DSP4-treated rats. Methylphenidate is a noradrenaline and dopamine reuptake inhibitor and commonly used in the pharmacological treatment of individuals with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Wistar rats were trained in the 5CSRTT and treated with one of three doses of DSP4 or saline. Following the DSP4 treatment rats were injected with three doses of methylphenidate or saline and again tested in the 5CSRTT. The treatment with DSP4 caused a significant decline of performance in the number of correct responses and a decrease in response accuracy. A reduction in activity could also be observed. Whether or not the cognitive impairments are due to attention deficits or changes in explorative behaviour or activity remains to be investigated. The treatment with methylphenidate had no beneficial effect on the rats' performance regardless of the DSP4 treatment. In the group without DSP4 treatment, methylphenidate led to a reduction in response accuracy and bidirectional effects in regard to parameters related to attention. These findings support the role of noradrenaline in modulating attention and call for further investigations concerning the effects of methylphenidate on attentional processes in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joachim Hauser
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Reissmann
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas-A Sontag
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Tucha
- Department of Clinical and Developmental Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus W Lange
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Regensburg, 93040, Regensburg, Germany.
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Traumatic stress causes distinctive effects on fear circuit catecholamines and the fear extinction profile in a rodent model of posttraumatic stress disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2016; 26:1484-1495. [PMID: 27492886 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2016] [Revised: 05/14/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Central catecholamines regulate fear memory across the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), amygdala (AMYG), and hippocampus (HPC). However, inadequate evidence exists to address the relationships among these fear circuit areas in terms of the fear symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By examining the behavioral profile in a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm together with tissue/efflux levels of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) and their reuptake abilities across the fear circuit areas in rats that experienced single prolonged stress (SPS, a rodent model of PTSD), we demonstrated that SPS-impaired extinction retrieval was concomitant with the changes of central DA/NE in a dissociable manner. For tissue levels, diminished DA and increased NE were both observed in the mPFC and AMYG. DA efflux and synaptosomal DA transporter were consistently reduced in the AMYG/vHPC, whereas SPS reduced NE efflux in the infralimbic cortex and synaptosomal NE transporter in the mPFC. Furthermore, a lower expression of synaptosomal VMAT2 was observed in the mPFC, AMYG, and vHPC after SPS. Finally, negative correlations were observed between retrieval freezing and DA in the mPFC/AMYG; nevertheless, the phenomena became invalid after SPS. Our results suggest that central catecholamines are crucially involved in the retrieval of fear extinction in which DA and NE play distinctive roles across the fear circuit areas.
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Hutson PH, Clark JA, Cross AJ. CNS Target Identification and Validation: Avoiding the Valley of Death or Naive Optimism? Annu Rev Pharmacol Toxicol 2016; 57:171-187. [PMID: 27575715 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-pharmtox-010716-104624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There are many challenges along the path to the approval of new drugs to treat CNS disorders, one of the greatest areas of unmet medical need with a large societal burden and health-care impact. Unfortunately, over the past two decades, few CNS drug approvals have succeeded, leading many pharmaceutical companies to deprioritize this therapeutic area. The reasons for the failures in CNS drug discovery are likely to be multifactorial. However, selecting the most biologically plausible molecular targets that are relevant to the disorder is a critical first step to improve the probability of success. In this review, we outline previous methods for identifying and validating novel targets for CNS drug discovery, and, cognizant of previous failures, we discuss potential new strategies that may improve the probability of success of developing novel treatments for CNS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Hutson
- Neurobiology, CNS Discovery, Teva Pharmaceuticals, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380;
| | - J A Clark
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892;
| | - A J Cross
- Neuroscience Innovative Medicines, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, Massachusetts 01239;
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16
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Simon NW, Moghaddam B. Methylphenidate has nonlinear dose effects on cued response inhibition in adults but not adolescents. Brain Res 2016; 1654:171-176. [PMID: 27431940 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2016.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing development of the dopamine system during adolescence may provide a partial mechanism for behavioral and psychiatric vulnerabilities. Despite early evidence for a hyperactive adolescent dopaminergic system, recent data suggest that adolescent dopamine may be functionally hypoactive compared to in adults. While this distinction has been established in response to dopaminergic drugs and natural rewards, little is known about age-related differences in cognitive efficacy of dopaminergic drugs. Using a recently established Cued Response Inhibition Task, we tested the effects of acute systemic methylphenidate, commonly known as Ritalin, on response inhibition and response initiation in adolescent and adults rats. First, we replicated previous data that adolescents are able to inhibit a response to a cue on par with adults, but are slower to produce a rewarded response after a stop cue. Next, we observed that methylphenidate modulated response inhibition in adult rats, with low dose (0.3mg/kg) improving inhibition, and high dose (3mg/kg) impairing performance. This dose-response pattern is commonly observed with psychostimulant cognitive modulation. In adolescents, however, methylphenidate had no effect on response inhibition at any dose. Latency of response initiation after the stop cue was not affected by methylphenidate in either adult or adolescent rats. These data establish that dose-response of a commonly prescribed psychostimulant medication is different in adolescents and adults. They further demonstrate that healthy adolescent response inhibition is not as sensitive to psychostimulants as in adults, supporting the idea that the dopamine system is hypoactive in adolescence. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Adolescent plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas W Simon
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neuroscience, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States
| | - Bita Moghaddam
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neuroscience, A210 Langley Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, United States.
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Beta-adrenoreceptor blockade abolishes atomoxetine-induced risk taking. Physiol Behav 2015; 153:125-32. [PMID: 26524512 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.10.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2015] [Revised: 10/10/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Clinical studies have shown that patients with exaggerated risk-taking tendencies have high baseline levels of norepinephrine. In this work, we systemically manipulated norepinephrine levels in rats and studied their behavioral changes in a probabilistic discounting task, which is a paradigm for gauging risk taking. METHODS This study aims to explore the effects of the selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (atomoxetine at doses of 0.6, 1.0 and 1.8 mg/kg), and receptor selective antagonists (propranolol at a single dose of 1.0/kg, and prazosin at a single dose of 0.1 mg/kg), on risk taking using a probabilistic discounting task. In this task, there were two levers available to rats: pressing the 'small/certain' lever guaranteed a single food pellet, and pressing the 'large/risky' lever yielded either four pellets or none. The probability of receiving four food pellets decreased across the four experimental blocks from 100% to 12.5%. RESULTS Atomoxetine increased the tendency to choose the large/risky lever. It significantly reduced the lose-shift effect (i.e. pressing a different lever after losing a trial), but did not affect the win-stay effect (i.e. pressing the same lever after winning a trial). Furthermore, co-administration of beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist, propranolol, eliminated the effects of atomoxetine on risk taking and the lose-shift effect; but co-administration of alpha1-adrenoreceptor antagonist, prazosin, did not. CONCLUSIONS Atomoxetine boosted NE levels and increased risk taking. This was because atomoxetine decreased rats' sensitivity to losses. These effects were likely mediated by beta-adrenoreceptor.
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Noradrenergic-Dopaminergic Interactions Due to DSP-4-MPTP Neurotoxin Treatments: Iron Connection. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2015; 29:73-86. [PMID: 26718588 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2015_411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The investigations of noradrenergic lesions and dopaminergic lesions have established particular profiles of functional deficits and accompanying alterations of biomarkers in brain regions and circuits. In the present account, the focus of these lesions is directed toward the effects upon dopaminergic neurotransmission and expression that are associated with the movement disorders and psychosis-like behavior. In this context, it was established that noradrenergic denervation, through administration of the selective noradrenaline (NA) neurotoxin, DSP-4, should be performed prior to the depletion of dopamine (DA) with the selective neurotoxin, MPTP. Employing this regime, it was shown that (i) following DSP-4 (50 mg/kg) pretreatment of C57/Bl6 mice, both the functional and neurochemical (DA loss) effects of MPTP (2 × 20 and 2 × 40 mg/kg) were markedly exacerbated, and (ii) following postnatal iron (Fe(2+), 7.5 mg/kg, on postnatal days 19-12), pretreatment with DSP-4 followed by the lower 2 × 20 mg/kg MPTP dose induced even greater losses of motor behavior and striatal DA. As yet, the combination of NA-DA depletions, and even more so Fe(2+)-NA-DA depletion, has been considered to present a movement disorder aspect although studies exploring cognitive domains are lacking. With intrusion of iron overload into this formula, the likelihood of neuropsychiatric disorder, as well, unfolds.
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