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da Silva GN, Seiffert N, Tovote P. Cerebellar contribution to the regulation of defensive states. Front Syst Neurosci 2023; 17:1160083. [PMID: 37064160 PMCID: PMC10102664 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2023.1160083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite fine tuning voluntary movement as the most prominently studied function of the cerebellum, early human studies suggested cerebellar involvement emotion regulation. Since, the cerebellum has been associated with various mood and anxiety-related conditions. Research in animals provided evidence for cerebellar contributions to fear memory formation and extinction. Fear and anxiety can broadly be referred to as defensive states triggered by threat and characterized by multimodal adaptations such as behavioral and cardiac responses integrated into an intricately orchestrated defense reaction. This is mediated by an evolutionary conserved, highly interconnected network of defense-related structures with functional connections to the cerebellum. Projections from the deep cerebellar nucleus interpositus to the central amygdala interfere with retention of fear memory. Several studies uncovered tight functional connections between cerebellar deep nuclei and pyramis and the midbrain periaqueductal grey. Specifically, the fastigial nucleus sends direct projections to the ventrolateral PAG to mediate fear-evoked innate and learned freezing behavior. The cerebellum also regulates cardiovascular responses such as blood pressure and heart rate-effects dependent on connections with medullary cardiac regulatory structures. Because of the integrated, multimodal nature of defensive states, their adaptive regulation has to be highly dynamic to enable responding to a moving threatening stimulus. In this, predicting threat occurrence are crucial functions of calculating adequate responses. Based on its role in prediction error generation, its connectivity to limbic regions, and previous results on a role in fear learning, this review presents the cerebellum as a regulator of integrated cardio-behavioral defensive states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Neubert da Silva
- Defense Circuits Lab, Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nina Seiffert
- Defense Circuits Lab, Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Philip Tovote
- Defense Circuits Lab, Institute of Clinical Neurobiology, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- Center for Mental Health, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- *Correspondence: Philip Tovote,
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2
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Lindquist DH. Emotion in motion: A three-stage model of aversive classical conditioning. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 115:363-377. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.04.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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3
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Burhans LB, Schreurs BG. Inactivation of the interpositus nucleus blocks the acquisition of conditioned responses and timing changes in conditioning-specific reflex modification of the rabbit eyeblink response. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:143-156. [PMID: 30053576 PMCID: PMC6731038 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Conditioning-specific reflex modification (CRM) of the rabbit eyeblink response is an associative phenomenon characterized by increases in the frequency, size, and peak latency of the reflexive unconditioned eyeblink response (UR) when the periorbital shock unconditioned stimulus (US) is presented alone following conditioning, particularly to lower intensity USs that produced minimal responding prior to conditioning. Previous work has shown that CRM shares many commonalities with the conditioned eyeblink response (CR) including a similar response topography, suggesting the two may share similar neural substrates. The following study examined the hypothesis that the interpositus nucleus (IP) of the cerebellum, an essential part of the neural circuitry of eyeblink conditioning, is also required for the acquisition of CRM. Tests for CRM occurred following delay conditioning under muscimol inactivation of the IP and also after additional conditioning without IP inactivation. Results showed that IP inactivation blocked acquisition of CRs and the timing aspect of CRM but did not prevent increases in UR amplitude and area. Following the cessation of inactivation, CRs and CRM latency changes developed similarly to controls with intact IP functioning, but with some indication that CRs may have been facilitated in muscimol rabbits. In conclusion, CRM timing and CRs both likely require the development of plasticity in the IP, but other associative UR changes may involve non-cerebellar structures interacting with the eyeblink conditioning circuitry, a strong candidate being the amygdala, which is also likely involved in the facilitation of conditioning. Other candidates worth consideration include the cerebellar cortex, prefrontal and motor cortices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren B Burhans
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA.
| | - Bernard G Schreurs
- Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
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4
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Xiao T, Zhang S, Lee LE, Chao HH, van Dyck C, Li CSR. Exploring Age-Related Changes in Resting State Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala: From Young to Middle Adulthood. Front Aging Neurosci 2018; 10:209. [PMID: 30061823 PMCID: PMC6055042 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivities of the amygdala support emotional and cognitive processing. Life-span development of resting-state functional connectivities (rsFC) of the amygdala may underlie age-related differences in emotion regulatory mechanisms. To date, age-related changes in amygdala rsFC have been reported through adolescence but not as thoroughly for adulthood. This study investigated age-related differences in amygdala rsFC in 132 young and middle-aged adults (19–55 years). Data processing followed published routines. Overall, amygdala showed positive rsFC with the temporal, sensorimotor and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), insula and lentiform nucleus, and negative rsFC with visual, frontoparietal, and posterior cingulate cortex and caudate head. Amygdala rsFC with the cerebellum was positively correlated with age, and rsFCs with the dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and somatomotor cortex were negatively correlated with age, at voxel p < 0.001 in combination with cluster p < 0.05 FWE. These age-dependent changes in connectivity appeared to manifest to a greater extent in men than in women, although the sex difference was only evident for the cerebellum in a slope test of age regressions (p = 0.0053). Previous studies showed amygdala interaction with the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and vmPFC during emotion regulation. In region of interest analysis, amygdala rsFC with the ACC and vmPFC did not show age-related changes. These findings suggest that intrinsic connectivity of the amygdala evolved from young to middle adulthood in selective brain regions, and may inform future studies of age-related emotion regulation and maladaptive development of the amygdala circuits as an etiological marker of emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Lue-En Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Herta H Chao
- Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, United States
| | - Christopher van Dyck
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States.,Beijing Huilongguan Hospital, Peking University, Beijing, China
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5
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Central amygdala lesions inhibit pontine nuclei acoustic reactivity and retard delay eyeblink conditioning acquisition in adult rats. Learn Behav 2018; 44:191-201. [PMID: 26486933 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-015-0199-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
In delay eyeblink conditioning (EBC) a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS; tone) is repeatedly paired with a mildly aversive unconditioned stimulus (US; periorbital electrical shock). Over training, subjects learn to produce an anticipatory eyeblink conditioned response (CR) during the CS, prior to US onset. While cerebellar synaptic plasticity is necessary for successful EBC, the amygdala is proposed to enhance eyeblink CR acquisition. In the current study, adult Long-Evans rats received bilateral sham or neurotoxic lesions of the central nucleus of the amygdala (CEA) followed by 1 or 4 EBC sessions. Fear-evoked freezing behavior, CS-mediated enhancement of the unconditioned response (UR), and eyeblink CR acquisition were all impaired in the CEA lesion rats relative to sham controls. There were also significantly fewer c-Fos immunoreactive cells in the pontine nuclei (PN)-major relays of acoustic information to the cerebellum-following the first and fourth EBC session in lesion rats. In sham rats, freezing behavior decreased from session 1 to 4, commensurate with nucleus-specific reductions in amygdala Fos+ cell counts. Results suggest delay EBC proceeds through three stages: in stage one the amygdala rapidly excites diffuse fear responses and PN acoustic reactivity, facilitating cerebellar synaptic plasticity and the development of eyeblink CRs in stage two, leading, in stage three, to a diminution or stabilization of conditioned fear responding.
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6
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Medeiros FM, de Carvalho Myskiw J, Baptista PPA, Neves LT, Martins LA, Furini CRG, Izquierdo I, Xavier LL, Hollands K, Mestriner RG. Can an aversive, extinction-resistant memory trigger impairments in walking adaptability? An experimental study using adult rats. Neurosci Lett 2018; 665:224-228. [PMID: 29229398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2017.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2017] [Revised: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive demands can influence the adaptation of walking, a crucial skill to maintain body stability and prevent falls. Whilst previous research has shown emotional load tunes goal-directed movements, little attention has been given to this finding. This study sought to assess the effects of suffering an extinction-resistant memory on skilled walking performance in adult rats, as an indicator of walking adaptability. Thus, 36 Wistar rats were divided in a two-part experiment. In the first part (n=16), the aversive, extinction-resistance memory paradigm was established using a fear-conditioning chamber. In the second, rats (n=20) were assessed in a neutral room using the ladder rung walking test before and tree days after inducing an extinction-resistance memory. In addition, the elevated plus-maze test was used to control the influence of the anxiety-like status on gait adaptability. Our results revealed the shock group exhibited worse walking adaptability (lower skilled walking score), when compared to the sham group. Moreover, the immobility time in the ladder rung walking test was similar to the controls, suggesting that gait adaptability performance was not a consequence of the fear generalization. No anxiety-like behavior was observed in the plus maze test. Finally, correlation coefficients also showed the skilled walking performance score was positively correlated with the number of gait cycles and trial time in the ladder rung walking test and the total crossings in the plus maze. Overall, these preliminary findings provide evidence to hypothesize an aversive, extinction-resistant experience might change the emotional load, affecting the ability to adapt walking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Mello Medeiros
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Jociane de Carvalho Myskiw
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Pedro Porto Alegre Baptista
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Laura Tartari Neves
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Lucas Athaydes Martins
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | | | - Iván Izquierdo
- Memory Center, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Léder Leal Xavier
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil
| | - Kristen Hollands
- Health Sciences College, University of Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Régis Gemerasca Mestriner
- Cell and Tissue Laboratory, Biosciences College, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Neuroplasticity and Rehabilitation Research Group, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil; Graduate Program in Cellular and Molecular Biology, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Brazil.
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7
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Flace P, Quartarone A, Colangelo G, Milardi D, Cacciola A, Rizzo G, Livrea P, Anastasi G. The Neglected Cerebello-Limbic Pathways and Neuropsychological Features of the Cerebellum in Emotion. THE CEREBELLUM 2017; 17:243-246. [PMID: 28921485 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-017-0884-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paolo Flace
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy.
| | - Angelo Quartarone
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, 98125, Messina, Italy.,IRCCS Centro Neurolesi 'Bonino Pulejo', 98124, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Demetrio Milardi
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, 98125, Messina, Italy.,IRCCS Centro Neurolesi 'Bonino Pulejo', 98124, Messina, Italy
| | | | - Giuseppina Rizzo
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, 98125, Messina, Italy
| | - Paolo Livrea
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari 'Aldo Moro', Piazza Giulio Cesare, 11, 70124, Bari, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Anastasi
- Department of Biomedical, Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Images, University of Messina, 98125, Messina, Italy
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8
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Ernst TM, Thürling M, Müller S, Kahl F, Maderwald S, Schlamann M, Boele HJ, Koekkoek SKE, Diedrichsen J, De Zeeuw CI, Ladd ME, Timmann D. Modulation of 7 T fMRI Signal in the Cerebellar Cortex and Nuclei During Acquisition, Extinction, and Reacquisition of Conditioned Eyeblink Responses. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:3957-3974. [PMID: 28474470 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2016] [Revised: 04/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Classical delay eyeblink conditioning is likely the most commonly used paradigm to study cerebellar learning. As yet, few studies have focused on extinction and savings of conditioned eyeblink responses (CRs). Saving effects, which are reflected in a reacquisition after extinction that is faster than the initial acquisition, suggest that learned associations are at least partly preserved during extinction. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that acquisition-related plasticity is nihilated during extinction in the cerebellar cortex, but retained in the cerebellar nuclei, allowing for faster reacquisition. Changes of 7 T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) signals were investigated in the cerebellar cortex and nuclei of young and healthy human subjects. Main effects of acquisition, extinction, and reacquisition against rest were calculated in conditioned stimulus-only trials. First-level β values were determined for a spherical region of interest (ROI) around the acquisition peak voxel in lobule VI, and dentate and interposed nuclei ipsilateral to the unconditioned stimulus. In the cerebellar cortex and nuclei, fMRI signals were significantly lower in extinction compared to acquisition and reacquisition, but not significantly different between acquisition and reacquisition. These findings are consistent with the theory of bidirectional learning in both the cerebellar cortex and nuclei. It cannot explain, however, why conditioned responses reappear almost immediately in reacquisition following extinction. Although the present data do not exclude that part of the initial memory remains in the cerebellum in extinction, future studies should also explore changes in extracerebellar regions as a potential substrate of saving effects. Hum Brain Mapp 38:3957-3974, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas M Ernst
- Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.,Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Markus Thürling
- Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany.,Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Sarah Müller
- Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
| | - Fabian Kahl
- Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
| | - Stefan Maderwald
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Marc Schlamann
- Department for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology and Neuroradiology, Essen University Hospital, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Giessen, Justus-Liebig-University of Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Henk-Jan Boele
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- Department for Computer Science, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chris I De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts & Sciences, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mark E Ladd
- Erwin L. Hahn Institute for MRI, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.,Division of Medical Physics in Radiology, German Cancer Research Center, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dagmar Timmann
- Department of Neurology, Essen University Hospital, Essen, Germany
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9
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Robinson BM, Elias LJ. Novel Stimuli are Negative Stimuli: Evidence That Negative Affect is Reduced in the Mere Exposure Effect. Percept Mot Skills 2016; 100:365-72. [PMID: 15974346 DOI: 10.2466/pms.100.2.365-372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure of a nonreinforced stimulus results in an increased preference for that stimulus, the mere exposure effect. The present study repeatedly presented positive, negative, and neutrally affective faces to 48 participants while they made judgments about the emotional expression. Participants then rated the likeability of novel neutrally expressive faces and some of these previously presented faces, this time in their neutral expression. Faces originally presented as happy were rated as the most likeable, followed by faces originally presented as neutral. Negative and novel faces were not rated significantly differently from each other. These findings support the notion that the increase in preference towards repeatedly presented stimuli is the result of the reduction in negative affect, consistent with the modified two-factor uncertainty-reduction model and classical conditioning model of the mere exposure effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brent M Robinson
- Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
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10
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Abstract
UNLABELLED Previous studies showed that amygdala lesions or inactivation slow the acquisition rate of cerebellum-dependent eyeblink conditioning, a type of associative motor learning. The current study was designed to determine the behavioral nature of amygdala-cerebellum interactions, to identify the neural pathways underlying amygdala-cerebellum interactions, and to examine how the amygdala influences cerebellar learning mechanisms in rats. Pharmacological inactivation of the central amygdala (CeA) severely impaired acquisition and retention of eyeblink conditioning, indicating that the amygdala continues to interact with the cerebellum after conditioning is consolidated (Experiment 1). CeA inactivation also substantially reduced stimulus-evoked and learning-related neuronal activity in the cerebellar anterior interpositus nucleus during acquisition and retention of eyeblink conditioning (Experiment 2). A very small proportion of cerebellar neurons responded to the conditioned stimulus (CS) during CeA inactivation. Finally, retrograde and anterograde tracing experiments identified the basilar pontine nucleus at the confluence of outputs from CeA that may support amygdala modulation of CS input to the cerebellum (Experiment 3). Together, these results highlight a role for the CeA in the gating of CS-related input to the cerebellum during motor learning that is maintained even after the conditioned response is well learned. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The current study is the first to demonstrate that the amygdala modulates sensory-evoked and learning-related neuronal activity within the cerebellum during acquisition and retention of associative learning. The findings suggest a model of amygdala-cerebellum interactions in which the amygdala gates conditioned stimulus inputs to the cerebellum through a direct projection from the medial central nucleus to the basilar pontine nucleus. Amygdala gating of sensory input to the cerebellum may be an attention-like mechanism that facilitates cerebellar learning. In contrast to previous theories of amygdala-cerebellum interactions, the sensory gating hypothesis posits that the gating mechanism continues to be necessary for retrieval of cerebellar memory after learning is well established.
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11
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Balance deficit enhances anxiety and balance training decreases anxiety in vestibular mutant mice. Behav Brain Res 2015; 276:76-83. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.06.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 06/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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12
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Magal A, Mintz M. Inhibition of the amygdala central nucleus by stimulation of cerebellar output in rats: a putative mechanism for extinction of the conditioned fear response. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3548-55. [PMID: 25185877 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2014] [Revised: 07/29/2014] [Accepted: 08/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala and the cerebellum serve two distinctively different functions. The amygdala plays a role in the expression of emotional information, whereas the cerebellum is involved in the timing of discrete motor responses. Interaction between these two systems is the basis of the two-stage theory of learning, according to which an encounter with a challenging event triggers fast classical conditioning of fear-conditioned responses in the amygdala and slow conditioning of motor-conditioned responses in the cerebellum. A third stage was hypothesised when an apparent interaction between amygdala and cerebellar associative plasticity was observed: an adaptive rate of cerebellum-dependent motor-conditioned responses was associated with a decrease in amygdala-dependent fear-conditioned responses, and was interpreted as extinction of amygdala-related fear-conditioned responses by the cerebellar output. To explore this hypothesis, we mimicked some components of classical eyeblink conditioning in anesthetised rats by applying an aversive periorbital pulse as an unconditioned stimulus and a train of pulses to the cerebellar output nuclei as a cerebellar neuronal-conditioned response. The central amygdala multiple unit response to the periorbital pulse was measured with or without a preceding train to the cerebellar output nuclei. The results showed that activation of the cerebellar output nuclei prior to periorbital stimulation produced diverse patterns of inhibition of the amygdala response to the periorbital aversive stimulus, depending upon the nucleus stimulated, the laterality of the nucleus stimulated, and the stimulus interval used. These results provide a putative extinction mechanism of learned fear behavior, and could have implications for the treatment of pathologies involving abnormal fear responses by using motor training as therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari Magal
- Psychobiology Research Unit, School of Psychological Sciences, Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978, Israel
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13
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Kashef A, Campolattaro MM, Freeman JH. Learning-related neuronal activity in the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus during associative cerebellar learning. J Neurophysiol 2014; 112:2234-50. [PMID: 25122718 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00185.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
During delay eyeblink conditioning, rats learn to produce an eyelid-closure conditioned response (CR) to a conditioned stimulus (CS), such as a light, which precedes and coterminates with an unconditioned stimulus (US). Previous studies have suggested that the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus (LGNv) might play an important role in visual eyeblink conditioning by supplying visual sensory input to the pontine nuclei (PN) and also receiving feedback from the cerebellum. No prior study has investigated LGNv neuronal activity during eyeblink conditioning. The present study used multiple tetrodes to monitor single-unit activity in the rat LGNv during pre-exposure (CS only), unpaired CS/US, and paired CS-US training conditions. This behavioral-training sequence was used to investigate nonassociative- and associative-driven neuronal activity in the LGNv during training. LGNv neuronal activity habituated during unpaired training and then recovered from habituation during subsequent paired training, which may indicate that the LGNv plays a role in attention to the CS. The amplitude of LGNv neuronal activity correlated with CR production during paired but not unpaired CS/US training. Cerebellar feedback to the LGNv may play a role in modulating LGNv activity and attention to the CS during paired training. Based on the present findings, we hypothesize that the role of LGNv in visual eyeblink conditioning goes beyond simply routing visual CS information to the PN and involves modulation of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Kashef
- Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; and
| | | | - John H Freeman
- Department of Psychology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; and
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14
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A hypothetical universal model of cerebellar function: reconsideration of the current dogma. THE CEREBELLUM 2014; 12:758-72. [PMID: 23584616 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0477-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The cerebellum is commonly studied in the context of the classical eyeblink conditioning model, which attributes an adaptive motor function to cerebellar learning processes. This model of cerebellar function has quite a few shortcomings and may in fact be somewhat deficient in explaining the myriad functions attributed to the cerebellum, functions ranging from motor sequencing to emotion and cognition. The involvement of the cerebellum in these motor and non-motor functions has been demonstrated in both animals and humans in electrophysiological, behavioral, tracing, functional neuroimaging, and PET studies, as well as in clinical human case studies. A closer look at the cerebellum's evolutionary origin provides a clue to its underlying purpose as a tool which evolved to aid predation rather than as a tool for protection. Based upon this evidence, an alternative model of cerebellar function is proposed, one which might more comprehensively account both for the cerebellum's involvement in a myriad of motor, affective, and cognitive functions and for the relative simplicity and ubiquitous repetitiveness of its circuitry. This alternative model suggests that the cerebellum has the ability to detect coincidences of events, be they sensory, motor, affective, or cognitive in nature, and, after having learned to associate these, it can then trigger (or "mirror") these events after having temporally adjusted their onset based on positive/negative reinforcement. The model also provides for the cerebellum's direction of the proper and uninterrupted sequence of events resulting from this learning through the inhibition of efferent structures (as demonstrated in our lab).
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15
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Perciavalle V, Apps R, Bracha V, Delgado-García JM, Gibson AR, Leggio M, Carrel AJ, Cerminara N, Coco M, Gruart A, Sánchez-Campusano R. Consensus paper: current views on the role of cerebellar interpositus nucleus in movement control and emotion. THE CEREBELLUM 2014; 12:738-57. [PMID: 23564049 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-013-0464-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
In the present paper, we examine the role of the cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IN) in motor and non-motor domains. Recent findings are considered, and we share the following conclusions: IN as part of the olivo-cortico-nuclear microcircuit is involved in providing powerful timing signals important in coordinating limb movements; IN could participate in the timing and performance of ongoing conditioned responses rather than the generation and/or initiation of such responses; IN is involved in the control of reflexive and voluntary movements in a task- and effector system-dependent fashion, including hand movements and associated upper limb adjustments, for quick effective actions; IN develops internal models for dynamic interactions of the motor system with the external environment for anticipatory control of movement; and IN plays a significant role in the modulation of autonomic and emotional functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenzo Perciavalle
- Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Section of Physiology, University of Catania, Viale Andrea Doria 6, 95125, Catania, Italy.
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Taub AH, Segalis E, Marcus-Kalish M, Mintz M. Acceleration of cerebellar conditioning through improved detection of its sensory input. BRAIN-COMPUTER INTERFACES 2014. [DOI: 10.1080/2326263x.2013.867652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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17
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Chau LS, Galvez R. Amygdala's involvement in facilitating associative learning-induced plasticity: a promiscuous role for the amygdala in memory acquisition. Front Integr Neurosci 2012; 6:92. [PMID: 23087626 PMCID: PMC3468000 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2012.00092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2012] [Accepted: 09/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that the amygdala plays a critical role in acquisition and consolidation of fear-related memories. Some of the more widely employed behavioral paradigms that have assisted in solidifying the amygdala's role in fear-related memories are associative learning paradigms. With most associative learning tasks, a neutral conditioned stimulus (CS) is paired with a salient unconditioned stimulus (US) that elicits an unconditioned response (UR). After multiple CS-US pairings, the subject learns that the CS predicts the onset or delivery of the US, and thus elicits a learned conditioned response (CR). Most fear-related associative paradigms have suggested that an aspect of the fear association is stored in the amygdala; however, some fear-motivated associative paradigms suggest that the amygdala is not a site of storage, but rather facilitates consolidation in other brain regions. Based upon various learning theories, one of the most likely sites for storage of long-term memories is the neocortex. In support of these theories, findings from our laboratory, and others, have demonstrated that trace-conditioning, an associative paradigm where there is a separation in time between the CS and US, induces learning-specific neocortical plasticity. The following review will discuss the amygdala's involvement, either as a site of storage or facilitating storage in other brain regions such as the neocortex, in fear- and non-fear-motivated associative paradigms. In this review, we will discuss recent findings suggesting a broader role for the amygdala in increasing the saliency of behaviorally relevant information, thus facilitating acquisition for all forms of memory, both fear- and non-fear-related. This proposed promiscuous role of the amygdala in facilitating acquisition for all memories further suggests a potential role of the amygdala in general learning disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily S Chau
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL, USA
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Effects of sensitization on the detection of an instrumental contingency. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2011; 100:48-58. [PMID: 21820464 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2011.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Revised: 07/04/2011] [Accepted: 07/15/2011] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
While prior exposure to drugs of abuse permanently changes many behaviors, the underlying psychological mechanisms are relatively obscure. Here, the effects of sensitization on the detection of an action-outcome relationship were assessed, using a particularly stringent contingency degradation procedure. Rats were trained to leverpress until the probability of reinforcement for a response on one lever, or alternative reinforcement for a response on a second lever was reduced to 0.05 per second. Sensitization was then carried out (1mg/kg d-amphetamine/day for 7 days). Then, one reinforcer was also made available for a lack of response on either lever (p=0.05/s), maintaining its contiguity with the original response but eliminating its contingent relationship. Sensitized animals were more active, particularly early in the contingency degradation phase, but reduced responding directed at the degraded action-outcome contingency at a similar rate as controls. However, controls also reduced responding directed at the nondegraded contingency until very late in training, while sensitized animals maintained nondegraded responding at baseline levels. It was suggested that the relatively specific response shown by sensitized animals may reflect either improved action-outcome utilization or discrimination of relevant task features.
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Sakamoto T, Endo S. Amygdala, deep cerebellar nuclei and red nucleus contribute to delay eyeblink conditioning in C57BL /6 mice. Eur J Neurosci 2010; 32:1537-51. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07406.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Amygdala conditioning modulates sensory input to the cerebellum. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2010; 94:521-9. [PMID: 20832497 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2010] [Revised: 08/29/2010] [Accepted: 09/02/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Localization of emotional learning in the amygdala and discrete motor learning in the cerebellum provides empirical means to study the mechanisms mediating the interaction between fast emotional and slow motor learning. Behavioral studies have demonstrated that fear conditioning facilitates the motor conditioning. The present study tests the hypothesis that the amygdala output induces this facilitation by increasing the salience of the conditioned stimulus (CS) representation in the pontine nucleus (PN) input to the cerebellum. Paired trials of CS-US (unconditioned stimulus) were applied to anesthetized rats, a condition that allows for amygdala-based fear conditioning but not cerebellar-based motor conditioning. Multiple unit recordings in the PN served to assess the salience of the CS. Results showed that CS-US conditioning increased the PN-reactivity to the CS. Lidocaine-induced reversible inactivation of the amygdala prevented the facilitatory effect of conditioning on the PN-reactivity to the CS. These findings suggest that the amygdala-based conditioned responses reach the PN and increase the salience of the CS signal there, perhaps facilitating cerebellar conditioning. This facilitatory effect of the amygdala may be conceptualized under the 'two-stage theory of learning', which predicts that emotional learning in the first stage accelerates the motor learning in the second stage. We hereby demonstrate the physiological mechanism through which fast emotional learning in the first stage facilitates slow cerebellar learning in the second stage.
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Phillips GD, Salussolia E, Hitchcott PK. Role of the mesoamygdaloid dopamine projection in emotional learning. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2010; 210:303-16. [PMID: 20401751 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-010-1813-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2009] [Accepted: 02/22/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Amygdala dopamine is crucially involved in the acquisition of Pavlovian associations, as measured via conditioned approach to the location of the unconditioned stimulus (US). However, learning begins before skeletomotor output, so this study assessed whether amygdala dopamine is also involved in earlier 'emotional' learning. OBJECTIVES A variant of the conditioned reinforcement (CR) procedure was validated where training was restricted to curtail the development of selective conditioned approach to the US location, and effects of amygdala dopamine manipulations before training or later CR testing assessed. METHODS Experiment 1a presented a light paired (CS+ group) or unpaired (CS- group) with a US. There were 1, 2 or 10 sessions, 4 trials per session. Then, the US was removed, and two novel levers presented. One lever (CR+) presented the light, and lever pressing was recorded. Experiment 1b also included a tone stimulus. Experiment 2 applied intra-amygdala R(+) 7-OH-DPAT (10 nmol/1.0 microl/side) before two training sessions (Experiment 2a) or a CR session (Experiment 2b). RESULTS For Experiments 1a and 1b, the CS+ group preferred the CR+ lever across all sessions. Conditioned alcove approach during 1 or 2 training sessions or associated CR tests was low and nonspecific. In Experiment 2a, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT before training greatly diminished lever pressing during a subsequent CR test, preferentially on the CR+ lever. For Experiment 2b, R(+) 7-OH-DPAT infusions before the CR test also reduced lever pressing. CONCLUSIONS Manipulations of amygdala dopamine impact the earliest stage of learning in which emotional reactions may be most prevalent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gavin D Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK.
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22
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Conditioned fear in adult rats is facilitated by the prior acquisition of a classically conditioned motor response. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2010; 94:167-75. [PMID: 20493273 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2010.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2009] [Revised: 04/30/2010] [Accepted: 05/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Early in eyeblink classical conditioning, amygdala-dependent fear responding is reported to facilitate acquisition of the cerebellar-dependent eyeblink conditioned response (CR), in accord with the two-process model of conditioning (Konorski, 1967). In the current study, we predicted that the conditioned fear (e.g., freezing) observed during eyeblink conditioning may become autonomous of the eyeblink CR and amenable to further associative modification. Conditioned freezing was assessed during and following Pavlovian fear conditioning in Long-Evans rats that had or had not undergone eight prior sessions of eyeblink conditioning. The amplitude and frequency of the tone conditioned stimulus (CS) was held constant across both forms of conditioning. Following fear conditioning in Experiment 1, freezing to the tone CS, but not the context, was facilitated in rats that previously experienced CS-unconditioned stimulus (US) paired eyeblink conditioning. In Experiment 2, freezing immediately following each fear conditioning trial was enhanced in rats subjected to the antecedent eyeblink conditioning, indicating a faster acquisition rate. Finally, in Experiment 3, faster acquisition was seen only in those rats fear conditioned in the same context used for the prior eyeblink conditioning. Taken together, the data indicate that the conditioned fear associated with the context and CS as a result of eyeblink conditioning can be built upon or strengthened during subsequent learning.
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23
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Progressive vestibular mutation leads to elevated anxiety. Brain Res 2010; 1317:157-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2009.12.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2009] [Revised: 11/30/2009] [Accepted: 12/19/2009] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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Boele HJ, Koekkoek SKE, De Zeeuw CI. Cerebellar and extracerebellar involvement in mouse eyeblink conditioning: the ACDC model. Front Cell Neurosci 2010; 3:19. [PMID: 20126519 PMCID: PMC2805432 DOI: 10.3389/neuro.03.019.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2009] [Accepted: 11/29/2009] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade the advent of mouse transgenics has generated new perspectives on the study of cerebellar molecular mechanisms that are essential for eyeblink conditioning. However, it also appears that results from eyeblink conditioning experiments done in mice differ in some aspects from results previously obtained in other mammals. In this review article we will, based on studies using (cell-specific) mouse mutants and region-specific lesions, re-examine the general eyeblink behavior in mice and the neuro-anatomical circuits that might contribute to the different peaks in the conditioned eyeblink trace. We conclude that the learning process in mice has at least two stages: An early stage, which includes short-latency responses that are at least partly controlled by extracerebellar structures such as the amygdala, and a later stage, which is represented by well-timed conditioned responses that are mainly controlled by the pontocerebellar and olivocerebellar systems. We refer to this overall concept as the Amygdala-Cerebellum-Dynamic-Conditioning Model (ACDC model).
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk-Jan Boele
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, RotterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | - Chris I. De Zeeuw
- Department of Neuroscience, Erasmus Medical Center, RotterdamThe Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Academy of Arts and Sciences, AmsterdamThe Netherlands
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25
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Avni R, Elkan T, Dror AA, Shefer S, Eilam D, Avraham KB, Mintz M. Mice with vestibular deficiency display hyperactivity, disorientation, and signs of anxiety. Behav Brain Res 2009; 202:210-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2009.03.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Revised: 03/22/2009] [Accepted: 03/25/2009] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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26
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Involvement of the autonomic nervous system in motor adaptation: acceleration or error reduction? Exp Brain Res 2008; 192:133-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s00221-008-1565-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2007] [Accepted: 09/02/2008] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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27
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Faria R, Magalhães A, Monteiro PRR, Gomes-Da-Silva J, Amélia Tavares M, Summavielle T. MDMA in Adolescent Male Rats: Decreased Serotonin in the Amygdala and Behavioral Effects in the Elevated Plus-Maze Test. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2006; 1074:643-9. [PMID: 17105959 DOI: 10.1196/annals.1369.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Long-term behavioral consequences of the neurotoxicity produced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) in the adolescent rat are still mostly unknown. Here, adolescent male rats (postnatal day 45 PND [45]) were exposed to 10 mg/kg of MDMA, intraperitoneally, every 2 h for 6 h. Controls were given 0.9% saline in the same protocol. Ten days after exposure, the behavioral effects of MDMA were assessed in the elevated plus-maze (n = 6 per group). After behavioral testing, animals were sacrificed and the amygdalae were dissected and processed for HPLC determination of dopamine (DA), serotonin (5-HT), and metabolites. Results showed a significant decrease in the 5-HT content (P < 0.05), but no significant alterations in DA or its metabolites. Behavioral observation in the elevated plus-maze showed a decreased number of entries in the unprotected arms (P < 0.05), which were correlated to the number of entries and time spent in the central platform. Rearing was also decreased (P < 0.05). No differences were observed in head dips, grooming, or number of entries in the protected arms of the apparatus. Therefore, we conclude that, as in the adult rat, exposure to MDMA in the adolescent rat is associated to long-term depletion of the 5-HT content and increased anxiety-like behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Faria
- IBMC - Neurobehavior Unit, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal
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28
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Park JS, Onodera T, Nishimura SI, Thompson RF, Itohara S. Molecular evidence for two-stage learning and partial laterality in eyeblink conditioning of mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:5549-54. [PMID: 16569693 PMCID: PMC1414800 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0601150103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The anterior interpositus nucleus (AIN) is the proposed site of memory formation of eyeblink conditioning. A large part of the underlying molecular events, however, remain unknown. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms, we examined transcriptional changes in the AIN of mice trained with delay eyeblink conditioning using microarray, quantitative real-time RT-PCR, and in situ hybridization techniques. Microarray analyses suggested that transcriptionally up-regulated gene sets were largely different between early (3-d training) and late (7-d) stages. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR aided by laser microdissection indicated that the expression of representative EARLY genes (Sgk, IkBa, and Plekhf1) peaked at 1-d training in both the paired and unpaired conditioning groups, and was maintained at a higher level in the paired group than in the unpaired group after 3-d training. In situ hybridization revealed increased expression of these genes in broad cerebellar areas, including the AIN, with no hemispheric preferences. In contrast, the expression of representative LATE genes (Vamp1, Camk2d, and Prkcd) was selectively increased in the AIN of the 7-d paired group, with dominance in the ipsilateral AIN. Increased Vamp1 mRNA expression was restricted to the ipsilateral dorsolateral hump, a subregion of the AIN. These expression patterns of two distinct subsets of genes fit well with the two-stage learning theory, which proposes emotional and motor learning phases, and support the notion that AIN has a crucial role in memory formation of eyeblink conditioning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Takashi Onodera
- Department of Molecular Immunology, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Science, University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan; and
| | - Shin-ichi Nishimura
- Mathematical Neuroscience, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako-shi, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Richard F. Thompson
- Neuroscience Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089-2520
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
| | - Shigeyoshi Itohara
- Laboratories for *Behavioral Genetics and
- To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail:
or
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29
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Rorick-Kehn LM, Steinmetz JE. Amygdalar unit activity during three learning tasks: eyeblink classical conditioning, Pavlovian fear conditioning, and signaled avoidance conditioning. Behav Neurosci 2006; 119:1254-76. [PMID: 16300433 DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.119.5.1254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Neural activity in central and basolateral amygdala nuclei (CeA and BLA, respectively) was recorded during delay eyeblink conditioning, Pavlovian fear conditioning, and signaled barpress avoidance. During paired training, the CeA exhibited robust learning-related excitatory activity during all 3 tasks. By contrast, the BLA exhibited minimal activity during eyeblink conditioning, while demonstrating pronounced increases in learning-related excitatory responsiveness during fear conditioning and barpress avoidance. In addition, the relative amount of amygdalar activation observed appeared to be related to the relative intensity of the unconditioned stimulus and somatic requirements of the task. Results suggest the CeA mediates the Pavlovian association between sensory stimuli and the BLA mediates the modulation of instrumental responding through the assignment of motivational value to the unconditioned stimulus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda M Rorick-Kehn
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neural Science, Indiana University, 1101 E. 10th Street, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
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30
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SUMMAVIELLE TERESA, MAGALHÃES ANA, CASTRO-VALE IVONE, SOUSA LILIANA, TAVARES MARIAAMÉLIA. Neonatal Exposure to Cocaine. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2006. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2002.tb04192.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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31
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Blankenship MR, Huckfeldt R, Steinmetz JJ, Steinmetz JE. The effects of amygdala lesions on hippocampal activity and classical eyeblink conditioning in rats. Brain Res 2005; 1035:120-30. [PMID: 15722052 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2004.11.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2004] [Revised: 11/09/2004] [Accepted: 11/16/2004] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and the amygdala have long been associated with memory, emotion, and motivated behaviors. Although the role of these two brain areas in learning a simple, discrete motor response has been well studied, a definitive theory concerning their functions remains elusive. The present experiment involved selective lesions of the central nucleus (CE) or the basolateral nucleus (BA) of the amygdala in rats followed by single-unit analyses of hippocampal CA1 subfield activity during classical eye blink conditioning. Removal of CE or BA adversely affected the development of conditioned responding. Differences between groups in the patterns of hippocampal activity were observed. Similar to previous rabbit studies, hippocampal activity recorded from sham rats showed that CA1 cells became active during the CS-US period as conditioning progressed with activity especially prevalent just prior to US onset. Increased activity over training was seen during the CS-US interval in CE-lesioned rats, but the pattern differed from control rats-uniform excitation was seen across the entire CS-US period. BA-lesioned rats initially showed uniform CS-US period activation in early phases of training, but then showed patterns of hippocampal activity that resembled control rats in later stages of conditioning. The data suggest that the amygdala may play a modulatory role in the acquisition of conditioned eye blink responses and also in the formation of learning-related activity in the hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew R Blankenship
- Department of Psychology, Western Illinois University, 1 University Circle, Room 100, Waggoner Hall, Macomb, IL 61455, USA.
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32
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Erez O, Gordon CR, Sever J, Sadeh A, Mintz M. Balance dysfunction in childhood anxiety: findings and theoretical approach. J Anxiety Disord 2004; 18:341-56. [PMID: 15125981 DOI: 10.1016/s0887-6185(02)00291-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2002] [Revised: 08/23/2002] [Accepted: 10/30/2002] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
A recent special issue of the Journal of Anxiety Disorders, reviewed the experimental and clinical findings related to comorbidity of balance disorders and anxiety [J. Anxiety Disord. 15 (2001) 1.]. The studies mentioned in that issue were based mostly on adult subjects but prevalence of balance disorders in childhood anxiety is yet to be established. We have tested a small sample of children diagnosed for general or separation anxiety disorder and a control group of normal children. Extensive neurological examination revealed no clinically relevant vestibular impairment. Nevertheless, detailed questionnaires and balance tests confirmed an excessive sensitivity of anxiety disordered children to balance-challenging situations. Moreover, balance-challenging tasks triggered more balance mistakes and slower performance in anxiety versus control children. These findings support the notion of subclinical balance disorder in childhood anxiety. Results are discussed in terms of the two-stage theory of learning, which predicts that anxiety disorder may be an offshoot of lasting balance dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orit Erez
- Psychobiology Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978, Israel
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33
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Lee T, Kim JJ. Differential effects of cerebellar, amygdalar, and hippocampal lesions on classical eyeblink conditioning in rats. J Neurosci 2004; 24:3242-50. [PMID: 15056703 PMCID: PMC6730028 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5382-03.2004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 120] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2003] [Revised: 02/13/2004] [Accepted: 02/17/2004] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Eyeblink conditioning has been hypothesized to engage two successive stages of nonspecific emotional (fear) and specific musculature (eyelid) learning, during which the nonspecific component influences the acquisition of the specific component. Here we test this notion by investigating the relative contributions of the cerebellum, the amygdala, and the hippocampus to the emergence of conditioned eyelid and fear responses during delay eyeblink conditioning in freely moving rats. Periorbital electromyography (EMG) and 22 kHz ultrasonic vocalization (USV) activities were measured concurrently from the same subjects and served as indices of conditioned eyeblink and fear responses, respectively. In control animals, conditioned EMG responses increased across training sessions, whereas USV responses were initially robust but decreased across training sessions. Animals with electrolytic lesions to their cerebellum (targeting the interpositus nucleus) were completely unable to acquire conditioned EMG responses but exhibited normal USV behavior, whereas animals with lesions to the amygdala showed decelerated acquisition of conditioned EMG responses and displayed practically no USV behavior. In contrast, hippocampal lesioned rats demonstrated facilitated acquisition of conditioned EMG responses, whereas the USV behavior was unaffected. The amygdalar involvement in eyeblink conditioning was examined further by applying the GABA(A) agonist muscimol directly into the amygdala either before or immediately after training sessions. Although pretraining muscimol infusions impaired conditioned EMG responses, post-training infusions did not. Together, these results suggest that, even during a simple delay eyeblink conditioning, animals learn about different aspects associated with the behavioral task that are subserved by multiple brain-memory systems that interact to produce the overall behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taekwan Lee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205, USA
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34
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Christian KM, Thompson RF. Neural Substrates of Eyeblink Conditioning: Acquisition and Retention. Learn Mem 2003; 10:427-55. [PMID: 14657256 DOI: 10.1101/lm.59603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 493] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Classical conditioning of the eyeblink reflex to a neutral stimulus that predicts an aversive stimulus is a basic form of associative learning. Acquisition and retention of this learned response require the cerebellum and associated sensory and motor pathways and engage several other brain regions including the hippocampus, neocortex, neostriatum, septum, and amygdala. The cerebellum and its associated circuitry form the essential neural system for delay eyeblink conditioning. Trace eyeblink conditioning, a learning paradigm in which the conditioned and unconditioned stimuli are noncontiguous, requires both the cerebellum and the hippocampus and exhibits striking parallels to declarative memory formation in humans. Identification of the neural structures critical to the development and maintenance of the conditioned eyeblink response is an essential precursor to the investigation of the mechanisms responsible for the formation of these associative memories. In this review, we describe the evidence used to identify the neural substrates of classical eyeblink conditioning and potential mechanisms of memory formation in critical regions of the hippocampus and cerebellum. Addressing a central goal of behavioral neuroscience, exploitation of this simple yet robust model of learning and memory has yielded one of the most comprehensive descriptions to date of the physical basis of a learned behavior in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M Christian
- Neuroscience Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-2520, USA.
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35
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Abstract
The control or prediction of the precise timing of events are central aspects of the many tasks assigned to the cerebellum. Despite much detailed knowledge of its physiology and anatomy, it remains unclear how the cerebellar circuitry can achieve such an adaptive timing function. We present a computational model pursuing this question for one extensively studied type of cerebellar-mediated learning: the classical conditioning of discrete motor responses. This model combines multiple current assumptions on the function of the cerebellar circuitry and was used to investigate whether plasticity in the cerebellar cortex alone can mediate adaptive conditioned response timing. In particular, we studied the effect of changes in the strength of the synapses formed between parallel fibres and Purkinje cells under the control of a negative feedback loop formed between inferior olive, cerebellar cortex and cerebellar deep nuclei. The learning performance of the model was evaluated at the circuit level in simulated conditioning experiments as well as at the behavioural level using a mobile robot. We demonstrate that the model supports adaptively timed responses under real-world conditions. Thus, in contrast to many other models that have focused on cerebellar-mediated conditioning, we investigated whether and how the suggested underlying mechanisms could give rise to behavioural phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Hofstötter
- Institute of Neuroinformatics, University and ETH Zurich, Winterthurerstr. 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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