1
|
Hernández-Jaramillo A, Illescas-Huerta E, Sotres-Bayon F. Ventral Pallidum and Amygdala Cooperate to Restrain Reward Approach under Threat. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e2327232024. [PMID: 38631914 PMCID: PMC11154850 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2327-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Foraging decisions involve assessing potential risks and prioritizing food sources, which can be challenging when confronted with changing and conflicting circumstances. A crucial aspect of this decision-making process is the ability to actively overcome defensive reactions to threats and focus on achieving specific goals. The ventral pallidum (VP) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) are two brain regions that play key roles in regulating behavior motivated by either rewards or threats. However, it is unclear whether these regions are necessary in decision-making processes involving competing motivational drives during conflict. Our aim was to investigate the requirements of the VP and BLA for foraging choices in conflicts involving overcoming defensive responses. Here, we used a novel foraging task and pharmacological techniques to inactivate either the VP or BLA or to disconnect these brain regions before conducting a conflict test in male rats. Our findings showed that BLA is necessary for making risky choices during conflicts, whereas VP is necessary for invigorating the drive to obtain food, regardless of the presence of conflict. Importantly, our research revealed that the connection between VP and BLA is critical in controlling risky food-seeking choices during conflict situations. This study provides a new perspective on the collaborative function of VP and BLA in driving behavior, aimed at achieving goals in the face of dangers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Elizabeth Illescas-Huerta
- Institute of Cell Physiology - Neuroscience, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| | - Francisco Sotres-Bayon
- Institute of Cell Physiology - Neuroscience, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Morais-Silva G, Lobo MK. Refining the circuits of drug addiction: The ventral pallidum. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102883. [PMID: 38815544 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 05/05/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum is a prominent structure within the basal ganglia, regulating reward and motivational processes. Positioned at the interface between motor and limbic structures, its function is crucial to the development and maintenance of substance use disorders. Chronic drug use induces neuroplastic events in this structure, leading to long-term changes in VP neuronal activity and synaptic communication. Moreover, different neuronal populations within the VP drive drug-seeking behavior in opposite directions. This review explores the role of the VP as a hub for reward, motivation, and aversion, establishing it as an important contributor to the pathophysiology of substance use disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gessynger Morais-Silva
- Sao Paulo State University (UNESP), School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Laboratory of Pharmacology, Araraquara, SP, Brazil. https://twitter.com/gessynger
| | - Mary Kay Lobo
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yang L, Fang LZ, Lynch MR, Xu CS, Hahm H, Zhang Y, Heitmeier MR, Costa V, Samineni VK, Creed MC. Transcriptomic landscape of mammalian ventral pallidum at single-cell resolution. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.05.24.595793. [PMID: 38826431 PMCID: PMC11142225 DOI: 10.1101/2024.05.24.595793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
The ventral pallidum (VP) is critical for motivated behaviors. While contemporary work has begun to elucidate the functional diversity of VP neurons, the molecular heterogeneity underlying this functional diversity remains incompletely understood. We used snRNA-seq and in situ hybridization to define the transcriptional taxonomy of VP cell types in mice, macaques, and baboons. We found transcriptional conservation between all three species, within the broader neurochemical cell types. Unique dopaminoceptive and cholinergic subclusters were identified and conserved across both primate species but had no homolog in mice. This harmonized consensus VP cellular atlas will pave the way for understanding the structure and function of the VP and identified key neuropeptides, neurotransmitters, and neuro receptors that could be targeted within specific VP cell types for functional investigations.
Collapse
|
4
|
Zhang C, Zhang X, Li W, Zhang T, Zhang Z, Lu L, Didonna F, Fan Q. Pallidum volume as a predictor for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy and psycho-education in unmedicated patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 131:152462. [PMID: 38354586 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been documented to be effective in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the neurobiological basis of MBCT remains largely elusive, which makes it clinically challenging to predict which patients are more likely to respond poorly. Hence, identifying biomarkers for predicting treatment outcomes holds both scientific and clinical values. This prognostic study aims to investigate whether pre-treatment brain morphological metrics can predict the effectiveness of MBCT, compared with psycho-education (PE) as an active placebo, among patients with OCD. METHODS A total of 32 patients with OCD were included in this prognostic study. They received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scans before treatment. Subsequently, 16 patients received 10 weeks of MBCT, while the other 16 patients underwent a 10-week PE program. The effectiveness of the treatments was primarily assessed by the reduction rate of the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) total score before and after the treatment. We investigated whether several predefined OCD-associated brain morphological metrics, selected based on prior published studies by the ENIGMA Consortium, could predict the treatment effectiveness. RESULTS Both the MBCT and PE groups exhibited substantial reductions in Y-BOCS scores over 10 weeks of treatment, with the MBCT group showing a larger reduction. Notably, the pallidum total volume was associated with treatment effectiveness, irrespective of the intervention group. Specifically, a linear regression model utilizing the pre-treatment pallidum volume to predict the treatment effectiveness suggested that a one-cubic-centimeter increase in pallidum volume corresponded to a 22.3% decrease in the Y-BOCS total score reduction rate. CONCLUSIONS Pallidum volume may serve as a promising predictor for the effectiveness of MBCT and PE, and perhaps, other treatments with the shared mechanisms by MBCT and PE, among patients with OCD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chen Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaochen Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenqing Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tianran Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Child Development and Education, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Zongfeng Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital & Affiliated Mental Health Centre, Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lu Lu
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Department of Clinical Psychology, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Qing Fan
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China; Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China; Mental Health Branch, China Hospital Development Institute, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Franceschini A, Mazzamuto G, Checcucci C, Chicchi L, Fanelli D, Costantini I, Passani MB, Silva BA, Pavone FS, Silvestri L. Brain-wide neuron quantification toolkit reveals strong sexual dimorphism in the evolution of fear memory. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112908. [PMID: 37516963 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear responses are functionally adaptive behaviors that are strengthened as memories. Indeed, detailed knowledge of the neural circuitry modulating fear memory could be the turning point for the comprehension of this emotion and its pathological states. A comprehensive understanding of the circuits mediating memory encoding, consolidation, and retrieval presents the fundamental technological challenge of analyzing activity in the entire brain with single-neuron resolution. In this context, we develop the brain-wide neuron quantification toolkit (BRANT) for mapping whole-brain neuronal activation at micron-scale resolution, combining tissue clearing, high-resolution light-sheet microscopy, and automated image analysis. The robustness and scalability of this method allow us to quantify the evolution of activity patterns across multiple phases of memory in mice. This approach highlights a strong sexual dimorphism in recruited circuits, which has no counterpart in the behavior. The methodology presented here paves the way for a comprehensive characterization of the evolution of fear memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Franceschini
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| | - Giacomo Mazzamuto
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Curzio Checcucci
- Department of Information Engineering (DINFO), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Chicchi
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Duccio Fanelli
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Irene Costantini
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Biology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Bianca Ambrogina Silva
- National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Neuroscience, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, Lab of Circuits Neuroscience, Rozzano, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Saverio Pavone
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Ludovico Silvestri
- European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy (LENS), University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy; National Institute of Optics - National Research Council (CNR-INO), Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wright KM, Cieslewski S, Chu A, McDannald MA. Optogenetic inhibition of the caudal substantia nigra inflates behavioral responding to uncertain threat and safety. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.18.529041. [PMID: 36824795 PMCID: PMC9949108 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.18.529041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/20/2023]
Abstract
Defensive responding is adaptive when it approximates current threat, but maladaptive when it exceeds current threat. Here we asked if the substantia nigra, a region consistently implicated in reward, is necessary to show appropriate levels of defensive responding in Pavlovian fear discrimination. Rats received bilateral transduction of the caudal substantia nigra with halorhodopsin or a control fluorophore, and bilateral ferrule implants. Rats then behaviorally discriminated cues predicting unique foot shock probabilities (danger, p =1; uncertainty, p =0.25; and safety, p =0). Green-light illumination (532 nm) during cue presentation inflated defensive responding of halorhodopsin rats - measured by suppression of reward seeking - to uncertainty and safety beyond control levels. Green-light illumination outside of cue presentation had no impact on halorhodopsin or control rat responding. The results reveal caudal substantia nigra cue activity is necessary to inhibit defensive responding to non-threatening and uncertain threat cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amanda Chu
- Boston College, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Soares-Cunha C, Heinsbroek JA. Ventral pallidal regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement. Front Neural Circuits 2023; 17:1086053. [PMID: 36817646 PMCID: PMC9932340 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2023.1086053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The interconnected nuclei of the ventral basal ganglia have long been identified as key regulators of motivated behavior, and dysfunction of this circuit is strongly implicated in mood and substance use disorders. The ventral pallidum (VP) is a central node of the ventral basal ganglia, and recent studies have revealed complex VP cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of reward, aversion, motivation, and drug-seeking behaviors. Although the VP is canonically considered a relay and output structure for this circuit, emerging data indicate that the VP is a central hub in an extensive network for reward processing and the regulation of motivation that extends beyond classically defined basal ganglia borders. VP neurons respond temporally faster and show more advanced reward coding and prediction error processing than neurons in the upstream nucleus accumbens, and regulate the activity of the ventral mesencephalon dopamine system. This review will summarize recent findings in the literature and provide an update on the complex cellular heterogeneity and cell- and circuit-specific regulation of motivated behaviors and reinforcement by the VP with a specific focus on mood and substance use disorders. In addition, we will discuss mechanisms by which stress and drug exposure alter the functioning of the VP and produce susceptibility to neuropsychiatric disorders. Lastly, we will outline unanswered questions and identify future directions for studies necessary to further clarify the central role of VP neurons in the regulation of motivated behaviors. Significance: Research in the last decade has revealed a complex cell- and circuit-specific role for the VP in reward processing and the regulation of motivated behaviors. Novel insights obtained using cell- and circuit-specific interrogation strategies have led to a major shift in our understanding of this region. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the VP in which we integrate novel findings with the existing literature and highlight the emerging role of the VP as a linchpin of the neural systems that regulate motivation, reward, and aversion. In addition, we discuss the dysfunction of the VP in animal models of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- ICVS/3B’s-PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Jasper A. Heinsbroek
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Saga Y, Galineau L, Tremblay L. Impulsive and compulsive behaviors can be induced by opposite GABAergic dysfunctions inside the primate ventral pallidum. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:1009626. [PMID: 36567755 PMCID: PMC9774472 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.1009626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The ventral pallidum (VP) is central in the limbic Basal Ganglia circuit, controlling both appetitive (approach) and aversive (avoidance) motivated behaviors. Nevertheless, VP involvement in pathological aspects remains unclear, especially in the behavioral expression of different motivational dysfunctions. This study aimed to investigate how the VP contributes to the expression of abnormal behaviors via opposite GABAergic dysfunctions. Methods: Opposite GABAergic dysfunctions were induced by injecting muscimol (a GABAA agonist) and bicuculline (a GABAA antagonist) into monkeys. We determined the effects of both substances on self-initiated behaviors in lab-chair and in free-moving home-cage contexts in six monkeys, and in two animals performing an approach-avoidance task in appetitive and aversive contexts. Results: While the self-initiated behaviors induced by bicuculline injections in VP were characterized by compulsive behaviors such as repetitive grooming and self-biting, muscimol injections induced impulsive behaviors including limb movements in a lab-chair context and exploration behaviors in a free-moving context. More specific behavioral effects were observed in the approach-avoidance task. The muscimol injections induced premature responses and erroneous screen touches, which characterize impulsive and attention disorders, while the bicuculline injections into the VP increased passive avoidance (non-initiated action) and task-escape in an aversive context, suggesting an anxiety disorder. Conclusions: These results show that activating or blocking GABAergic transmission in the VP impairs motivated behaviors. Furthermore, the behavioral expressions produced by these opposite disturbances show that the VP could be involved in anxiety-driven compulsive disorders, such as OCD, as well as in impulsive disorders motivated by attention deficits or reward-seeking, as seen in ADHD or impulse control disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Saga
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR-5229 CNRS, Bron Cedex, France,*Correspondence: Yosuke Saga Léon Tremblay
| | - Laurent Galineau
- UMR INSERM U1253, Université François Rabelais de Tours, Tours, France
| | - Léon Tremblay
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, UMR-5229 CNRS, Bron Cedex, France,Université Claude-Bernard Lyon1, Villeurbanne, France,*Correspondence: Yosuke Saga Léon Tremblay
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Moaddab M, McDannald MA. Retrorubral field is a hub for diverse threat and aversive outcome signals. Curr Biol 2021; 31:2099-2110.e5. [PMID: 33756109 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.02.055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adaptive fear scales to the degree of threat and requires diverse neural signals for threat and aversive outcome. We propose that the retrorubral field (RRF), a midbrain region containing A8 dopamine, is a neural origin of such signals. To reveal these signals, we recorded RRF single-unit activity while male rats discriminated danger, uncertainty, and safety. Many RRF neurons showed firing extremes to danger and safety that framed intermediate firing to uncertainty. The remaining neurons showed unique, threat-selective cue firing patterns. Diversity in firing direction, magnitude, and temporal characteristics led to the detection of at least eight functional neuron types. Neuron types defined with respect to threat showed unique firing patterns following aversive outcome. The result was RRF signals for foot shock receipt, positive prediction error, anti-positive prediction error, persistent safety, and persistent threat. The diversity of threat and aversive outcome signals points to a key role for the RRF in adaptive fear.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mahsa Moaddab
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| | - Michael A McDannald
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467, USA.
| |
Collapse
|