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Cheung KYM, Nair A, Li LY, Shapiro MG, Anderson DJ. Population coding of predator imminence in the hypothalamus. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.08.12.607651. [PMID: 39211163 PMCID: PMC11360964 DOI: 10.1101/2024.08.12.607651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/04/2024]
Abstract
Hypothalamic VMHdm SF1 neurons are activated by predator cues and are necessary and sufficient for instinctive defensive responses. However, such data do not distinguish which features of a predator encounter are encoded by VMHdm SF1 neural activity. To address this issue, we imaged VMHdm SF1 neurons at single-cell resolution in freely behaving mice exposed to a natural predator in varying contexts. Our results reveal that VMHdm SF1 neurons do not represent different defensive behaviors, but rather encode predator identity and multiple predator-evoked internal states, including threat-evoked fear/anxiety; neophobia or arousal; predator imminence; and safety. Notably, threat and safety are encoded bi-directionally by anti-correlated subpopulations. Finally, individual differences in predator defensiveness are correlated with differences in VMHdm SF1 response dynamics. Thus, different threat-related internal state variables are encoded by distinct neuronal subpopulations within a genetically defined, anatomically restricted hypothalamic cell class. Highlights Distinct subsets of VMHdm SF1 neurons encode multiple predator-evoked internal states. Anti-correlated subsets encode safety vs. threat in a bi-directional mannerA population code for predator imminence is identified using a novel assay VMHdm SF1 dynamics correlate with individual variation in predator defensiveness.
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Radoman M, Phan KL, Ajilore OA, Gorka SM. Altered effective connectivity during threat anticipation in individuals with alcohol use disorder. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2024:S2451-9022(24)00211-8. [PMID: 39117274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2024.07.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 07/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/30/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A developing theory and recent research suggest that heightened reactivity to uncertain stressors or threats may be an important individual difference factor that facilitates excessive drinking as a means of avoidance-based coping and characterizes individuals with current and past alcohol use disorder (AUD). Neuroimaging studies of unpredictable threat processing have repeatedly demonstrated activation of the anterior insula (AIC), anteromedial (AM) thalamus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The present study aimed to understand how these three regions function as a network during anticipation of unpredictable threat (and predictable threat). METHODS Participants were 43 young adults (aged 21-30) with AUD and 26 healthy controls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging and dynamic causal modeling were used to study inter-regional effective connectivities and predictable and unpredictable threat-related modulations thereof within this network. Parametric empirical Bayesian modeling was used to conduct between-group comparisons in effective connectivities. RESULTS During unpredictable threat trials, the increased projection from the right AM thalamus to the right AIC was significantly present only in the AUD group. This directional influence was stronger among individuals who on average consumed more drinks per week. As expected, we found no group differences in modulatory changes to effective connectivities during predictable threat trials. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine directional interactions between key frontolimbic regions during anticipation of unpredictable and predictable threat and demonstrate the importance of 'bottom-up' thalamic-insular projections during unpredictable threat processing in AUD. Prospective studies are warranted to determine whether this association may be causal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milena Radoman
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale University, 2 Church Street South, New Haven, CT 06511, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA.
| | - K Luan Phan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
| | - Olusola A Ajilore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago, 1601 W Taylor Street, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Stephanie M Gorka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ohio State University, 1670 Upham Drive, Columbus, OH 43205, USA
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3
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Stempel AV, Evans DA, Arocas OP, Claudi F, Lenzi SC, Kutsarova E, Margrie TW, Branco T. Tonically active GABAergic neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray control instinctive escape in mice. Curr Biol 2024; 34:3031-3039.e7. [PMID: 38936364 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.05.068] [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: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Escape behavior is a set of locomotor actions that move an animal away from threat. While these actions can be stereotyped, it is advantageous for survival that they are flexible.1,2,3 For example, escape probability depends on predation risk and competing motivations,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11 and flight to safety requires continuous adjustments of trajectory and must terminate at the appropriate place and time.12,13,14,15,16 This degree of flexibility suggests that modulatory components, like inhibitory networks, act on the neural circuits controlling instinctive escape.17,18,19,20,21,22 In mice, the decision to escape from imminent threats is implemented by a feedforward circuit in the midbrain, where excitatory vesicular glutamate transporter 2-positive (VGluT2+) neurons in the dorsal periaqueductal gray (dPAG) compute escape initiation and escape vigor.23,24,25 Here we tested the hypothesis that local GABAergic neurons within the dPAG control escape behavior by setting the excitability of the dPAG escape network. Using in vitro patch-clamp and in vivo neural activity recordings, we found that vesicular GABA transporter-positive (VGAT+) dPAG neurons fire action potentials tonically in the absence of synaptic inputs and are a major source of inhibition to VGluT2+ dPAG neurons. Activity in VGAT+ dPAG cells transiently decreases at escape onset and increases during escape, peaking at escape termination. Optogenetically increasing or decreasing VGAT+ dPAG activity changes the probability of escape when the stimulation is delivered at threat onset and the duration of escape when delivered after escape initiation. We conclude that the activity of tonically firing VGAT+ dPAG neurons sets a threshold for escape initiation and controls the execution of the flight action.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Vanessa Stempel
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Dominic A Evans
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Oriol Pavón Arocas
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Federico Claudi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Stephen C Lenzi
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Elena Kutsarova
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Max-von-Laue-Str. 4, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Troy W Margrie
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK
| | - Tiago Branco
- UCL Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, 25 Howland St, London W1T 4JG, UK.
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Fischbach AK, Satpute AB, Quigley K, Kragel PA, Chen D, Bianciardi M, Wald L, Wager TD, Choi JK, Zhang J, Barrett LF, Theriault JE. Seven Tesla Evidence for Columnar and Rostral-Caudal Organization of the Human Periaqueductal Gray Response in the Absence of Threat: A Working Memory Study. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1757232024. [PMID: 38664013 PMCID: PMC11211719 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1757-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The periaqueductal gray (PAG) is a small midbrain structure that surrounds the cerebral aqueduct, regulates brain-body communication, and is often studied for its role in "fight-or-flight" and "freezing" responses to threat. We used ultra-high-field 7 T fMRI to resolve the PAG in humans and distinguish it from the cerebral aqueduct, examining its in vivo function during a working memory task (N = 87). Both mild and moderate cognitive demands elicited spatially similar patterns of whole-brain blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response, and moderate cognitive demand elicited widespread BOLD increases above baseline in the brainstem. Notably, these brainstem increases were not significantly greater than those in the mild demand condition, suggesting that a subthreshold brainstem BOLD increase occurred for mild cognitive demand as well. Subject-specific masks were group aligned to examine PAG response. In PAG, both mild and moderate demands elicited a well-defined response in ventrolateral PAG, a region thought to be functionally related to anticipated painful threat in humans and nonhuman animals-yet, the present task posed only the most minimal (if any) "threat," with the cognitive tasks used being approximately as challenging as remembering a phone number. These findings suggest that the PAG may play a more general role in visceromotor regulation, even in the absence of threat.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ajay B Satpute
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Karen Quigley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Philip A Kragel
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia 30322
| | - Danlei Chen
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | - Marta Bianciardi
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
| | - Larry Wald
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
| | - Tor D Wager
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire 03755
| | - Ji-Kyung Choi
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143
| | - Jiahe Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
| | | | - Jordan E Theriault
- Department of Radiology, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129
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5
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Ahmadlou M, Giannouli M, van Vierbergen JFM, van Leeuwen T, Bloem W, Houba JHW, Shirazi MY, Cazemier JL, Haak R, Dubey M, de Winter F, Heimel JA. Cell-type-specific hypothalamic pathways to brainstem drive context-dependent strategies in response to stressors. Curr Biol 2024; 34:2448-2459.e4. [PMID: 38754425 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.04.053] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Adaptive behavioral responses to stressors are critical for survival. However, which brain areas orchestrate switching the appropriate stress responses to distinct contexts is an open question. This study aimed to identify the cell-type-specific brain circuitry governing the selection of distinct behavioral strategies in response to stressors. Through novel mouse behavior paradigms, we observed distinct stressor-evoked behaviors in two psycho-spatially distinct contexts characterized by stressors inside or outside the safe zone. The identification of brain regions activated in both conditions revealed the involvement of the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH). Further investigation using optogenetics, chemogenetics, and photometry revealed that glutamatergic projections from the DMH to periaqueductal gray (PAG) mediated responses to inside stressors, while GABAergic projections, particularly from tachykinin1-expressing neurons, played a crucial role in coping with outside stressors. These findings elucidate the role of cell-type-specific circuitry from the DMH to the PAG in shaping behavioral strategies in response to stressors. These findings have the potential to advance our understanding of fundamental neurobiological processes and inform the development of novel approaches for managing context-dependent and anxiety-associated pathological conditions such as agoraphobia and claustrophobia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehran Ahmadlou
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Sainsbury Wellcome Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University College London, W1T4AJ London, UK.
| | - Maria Giannouli
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jacqueline F M van Vierbergen
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tom van Leeuwen
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Wouter Bloem
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Janou H W Houba
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Maryam Yasamin Shirazi
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J Leonie Cazemier
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Robin Haak
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Mohit Dubey
- Department of Axonal Signaling, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Fred de Winter
- Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J Alexander Heimel
- Circuits, Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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6
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Zhao H, Liu J, Shao Y, Feng X, Zhao B, Sun L, Liu Y, Zeng L, Li XM, Yang H, Duan S, Yu YQ. Control of defensive behavior by the nucleus of Darkschewitsch GABAergic neurons. Natl Sci Rev 2024; 11:nwae082. [PMID: 38686177 PMCID: PMC11057443 DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae082] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleus of Darkschewitsch (ND), mainly composed of GABAergic neurons, is widely recognized as a component of the eye-movement controlling system. However, the functional contribution of ND GABAergic neurons (NDGABA) in animal behavior is largely unknown. Here, we show that NDGABA neurons were selectively activated by different types of fear stimuli, such as predator odor and foot shock. Optogenetic and chemogenetic manipulations revealed that NDGABA neurons mediate freezing behavior. Moreover, using circuit-based optogenetic and neuroanatomical tracing methods, we identified an excitatory pathway from the lateral periaqueductal gray (lPAG) to the ND that induces freezing by exciting ND inhibitory outputs to the motor-related gigantocellular reticular nucleus, ventral part (GiV). Together, these findings indicate the NDGABA population as a novel hub for controlling defensive response by relaying fearful information from the lPAG to GiV, a mechanism critical for understanding how the freezing behavior is encoded in the mammalian brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Zhao
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Jinrong Liu
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Yujin Shao
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Xiang Feng
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Binhan Zhao
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Li Sun
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yijun Liu
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Linghui Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hongbin Yang
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Shumin Duan
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
| | - Yan-Qin Yu
- Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital and School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou 311100, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-Machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-Machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Key Laboratory of Novel Targets and Drug Study for Neural Repair of Zhejiang Province, School of Medicine, Hangzhou City University, Hangzhou 310015, China
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7
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Wang H, Wang Q, Cui L, Feng X, Dong P, Tan L, Lin L, Lian H, Cao S, Huang H, Cao P, Li XM. A molecularly defined amygdala-independent tetra-synaptic forebrain-to-hindbrain pathway for odor-driven innate fear and anxiety. Nat Neurosci 2024; 27:514-526. [PMID: 38347199 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01562-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Fear-related disorders (for example, phobias and anxiety) cause a substantial public health problem. To date, studies of the neural basis of fear have mostly focused on the amygdala. Here we identify a molecularly defined amygdala-independent tetra-synaptic pathway for olfaction-evoked innate fear and anxiety in male mice. This pathway starts with inputs from the olfactory bulb mitral and tufted cells to pyramidal neurons in the dorsal peduncular cortex that in turn connect to cholecystokinin-expressing (Cck+) neurons in the superior part of lateral parabrachial nucleus, which project to tachykinin 1-expressing (Tac1+) neurons in the parasubthalamic nucleus. Notably, the identified pathway is specifically involved in odor-driven innate fear. Selective activation of this pathway induces innate fear, while its inhibition suppresses odor-driven innate fear. In addition, the pathway is both necessary and sufficient for stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors. These findings reveal a forebrain-to-hindbrain neural substrate for sensory-triggered fear and anxiety that bypasses the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Affiliated Mental Health Center and Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine / Nanhu Brain-computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China
| | - Qin Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liuzhe Cui
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoyang Feng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Ping Dong
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Liheng Tan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lin Lin
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Hong Lian
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shuxia Cao
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huiqian Huang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
| | - Peng Cao
- National Institute of Biological Sciences, Beijing, China
- Tsinghua Institute of Multidisciplinary Biomedical Research, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Neurology of Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
- National Health Commission and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Ministry of Education Frontier Center of Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, School of Brain Science and Brain Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
- Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Research Units for Emotion and Emotion Disorders, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences / Nanhu Brain-Computer Interface Institute, Hangzhou, China.
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8
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Dorst KE, Senne RA, Diep AH, de Boer AR, Suthard RL, Leblanc H, Ruesch EA, Pyo AY, Skelton S, Carstensen LC, Malmberg S, McKissick OP, Bladon JH, Ramirez S. Hippocampal Engrams Generate Variable Behavioral Responses and Brain-Wide Network States. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0340232023. [PMID: 38050098 PMCID: PMC10860633 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0340-23.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Freezing is a defensive behavior commonly examined during hippocampal-mediated fear engram reactivation. How these cellular populations engage the brain and modulate freezing across varying environmental demands is unclear. To address this, we optogenetically reactivated a fear engram in the dentate gyrus subregion of the hippocampus across three distinct contexts in male mice. We found that there were differential amounts of light-induced freezing depending on the size of the context in which reactivation occurred: mice demonstrated robust light-induced freezing in the most spatially restricted of the three contexts but not in the largest. We then utilized graph theoretical analyses to identify brain-wide alterations in cFos expression during engram reactivation across the smallest and largest contexts. Our manipulations induced positive interregional cFos correlations that were not observed in control conditions. Additionally, regions spanning putative "fear" and "defense" systems were recruited as hub regions in engram reactivation networks. Lastly, we compared the network generated from engram reactivation in the small context with a natural fear memory retrieval network. Here, we found shared characteristics such as modular composition and hub regions. By identifying and manipulating the circuits supporting memory function, as well as their corresponding brain-wide activity patterns, it is thereby possible to resolve systems-level biological mechanisms mediating memory's capacity to modulate behavioral states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Dorst
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Ryan A Senne
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Anh H Diep
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Antje R de Boer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Rebecca L Suthard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Heloise Leblanc
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Evan A Ruesch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Angela Y Pyo
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Sara Skelton
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Lucas C Carstensen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Samantha Malmberg
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Olivia P McKissick
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - John H Bladon
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston 02215, Massachusetts
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9
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Potegal M. How it ends: A review of behavioral and psychological phenomena, physiological processes and neural circuits in the termination of aggression in other animals and anger in people. Behav Brain Res 2024; 456:114676. [PMID: 37739229 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2023] [Revised: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
More is known about aggression initiation and persistence in other animals, and anger in people, than about their cessation. This review summarizes knowledge of relevant factors in aggression, mostly in vertebrates, and anger termination in people. The latency, probability and intensity of offensive aggression in mice is controlled by activity in a neuronal subpopulation in ventromedial hypothalamus [VMH]. This activity instantiates an aggressive state termed angriffsbereitschaft ["attack-readiness"]. Fighting in many species is broken into bouts with interbout breaks due to fatigue and/or signals from dorsal raphe to VMH. Eventually, losers decide durations and outcomes of fighting by transitioning to submission or flight. Factors reducing angriffsbereitschaft and triggering these defeat behaviors could include metabolic costs, e.g., lactate accumulation and glucose depletion detected by the hypothalamus, central fatigue perhaps sensed by the Salience Network [insula and anterior cingulate gyrus] and pain of injuries, the latter insufficiently blunted by opioid and non-opioid stress analgesia and transduced by anterior VMH neurons. Winners' angriffsbereitschaft continue for awhile, as indicated by post-victory attacks and, perhaps, triumph displays of some species, including humans. In longer term situations, sensory and/or response habituation of aggression may explain the "Dear enemy" tolerance of competitive neighbors. Prolonged satiation of predatory behavior could involve habenula-regulated reduction of dopaminergic reward in nucleus accumbens. Termination of human anger involves at least three processes, metaphorically termed decay, quenching and catharsis. Hypothesized neural mechanisms include anger diminution by negative feedback from accumbens to anterior cingulate and/or activity in the Salience Network that controls anger's "accumulation/offset" phase.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Potegal
- University of Minnesota, United States.
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10
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Dorst KE, Ramirez S. Engrams: From Behavior to Brain-Wide Networks. ADVANCES IN NEUROBIOLOGY 2024; 38:13-28. [PMID: 39008008 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-62983-9_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Animals utilize a repertoire of behavioral responses during everyday experiences. During a potentially dangerous encounter, defensive actions such as "fight, flight, or freeze" are selected for survival. The successful use of behavior is determined by a series of real-time computations combining an animal's internal (i.e., body) and external (i.e., environment) state. Brain-wide neural pathways are engaged throughout this process to detect stimuli, integrate information, and command behavioral output. The hippocampus, in particular, plays a role in the encoding and storing of the episodic information surrounding these encounters as putative "engram" or experience-modified cellular ensembles. Recalling a negative experience then reactivates a dedicated engram ensemble and elicits a behavioral response. How hippocampus-based engrams modulate brain-wide states and an animal's internal/external milieu to influence behavior is an exciting area of investigation for contemporary neuroscience. In this chapter, we provide an overview of recent technological advancements that allow researchers to tag, manipulate, and visualize putative engram ensembles, with an overarching goal of casually connecting their brain-wide underpinnings to behavior. We then discuss how hippocampal fear engrams alter behavior in a manner that is contingent on an environment's physical features as well as how they influence brain-wide patterns of cellular activity. Overall, we propose here that studies on memory engrams offer an exciting avenue for contemporary neuroscience to casually link the activity of cells to cognition and behavior while also offering testable theoretical and experimental frameworks for how the brain organizes experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E Dorst
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
- Graduate Program for Neuroscience, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Steve Ramirez
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
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11
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Meng X, Chen P, Veltien A, Palavra T, In't Veld S, Grandjean J, Homberg JR. Estimating foraging behavior in rodents using a modified paradigm measuring threat imminence dynamics. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 28:100585. [PMID: 38024390 PMCID: PMC10661863 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100585] [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: 09/03/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals need to respond to threats to avoid danger and approach rewards. In nature, these responses did not evolve alone but are always accompanied by motivational conflict. A semi-naturalistic threat imminence continuum model models the approach-avoidance conflict and is able to integrate multiple behaviors into a single paradigm. However, its comprehensive application is hampered by the lack of a detailed protocol and data about some fundamental factors including sex, age, and motivational level. Here, we modified a previously established paradigm measuring threat imminence continuum dynamics, involving modifications of training and testing protocols, and utilization of commercial materials combined with open science codes, making it easier to replicate. We demonstrate that foraging behavior is modulated by age, hunger level, and sex. This paradigm can be used to study foraging behaviors in animals in a more naturalistic manner with relevance to human approach-avoid conflicts and associated psychopathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianzong Meng
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ping Chen
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Andor Veltien
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Tony Palavra
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Sjors In't Veld
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Joanes Grandjean
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
- Department of Medical Imaging, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 GA, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Judith R. Homberg
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, 6525 AJ, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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12
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Bertocchi I, Rocha-Almeida F, Romero-Barragán MT, Cambiaghi M, Carretero-Guillén A, Botta P, Dogbevia GK, Treviño M, Mele P, Oberto A, Larkum ME, Gruart A, Sprengel R, Delgado-García JM, Hasan MT. Pre- and postsynaptic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors are required for sequential printing of fear memory engrams. iScience 2023; 26:108050. [PMID: 37876798 PMCID: PMC10590821 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.108050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The organization of fear memory involves the participation of multiple brain regions. However, it is largely unknown how fear memory is formed, which circuit pathways are used for "printing" memory engrams across brain regions, and the role of identified brain circuits in memory retrieval. With advanced genetic methods, we combinatorially blocked presynaptic output and manipulated N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) before and after cued fear conditioning. Further, we tagged fear-activated neurons during associative learning for optogenetic memory recall. We found that presynaptic mPFC and postsynaptic BLA NMDARs are required for fear memory formation, but not expression. Our results provide strong evidence that NMDAR-dependent synaptic plasticity drives multi-trace systems consolidation for the sequential printing of fear memory engrams from BLA to mPFC and, subsequently, to the other regions, for flexible memory retrieval.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Bertocchi
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Florbela Rocha-Almeida
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | | | - Marco Cambiaghi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Strada le Grazie 8, Verona, Italy
| | - Alejandro Carretero-Guillén
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Paolo Botta
- CNS drug development, Copenhagen, Capital Region, Denmark
| | - Godwin K. Dogbevia
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Health Canada, 70 Colombine Driveway, Ottawa, ON K1A0K9, Canada
| | - Mario Treviño
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratorio de Plasticidad Cortical y Aprendizaje Perceptual, Instituto de Neurociencias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico
| | - Paolo Mele
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Alessandra Oberto
- Department of Neuroscience "Rita Levi Montalcini", Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi (NICO), University of Turin, 10043 Turin, Italy
| | - Matthew E. Larkum
- NeuroCure, Charité-Universitatsmedizin, Virchowweg 6, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Agnes Gruart
- Division of Neurosciences, University Pablo de Olavide, Ctra. de Utrera, km. 1 41013 Seville, Spain
| | - Rolf Sprengel
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Mazahir T. Hasan
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology, Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Jahnstrasse 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
- Laboratory of Brain Circuits Therapeutics, Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience, Science Park of the UPV/EHU, Sede Building, Barrio Sarriena, s/n, 48940 Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque – Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
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13
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Tseng YT, Schaefke B, Wei P, Wang L. Defensive responses: behaviour, the brain and the body. Nat Rev Neurosci 2023; 24:655-671. [PMID: 37730910 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-023-00736-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Most animals live under constant threat from predators, and predation has been a major selective force in shaping animal behaviour. Nevertheless, defence responses against predatory threats need to be balanced against other adaptive behaviours such as foraging, mating and recovering from infection. This behavioural balance in ethologically relevant contexts requires adequate integration of internal and external signals in a complex interplay between the brain and the body. Despite this complexity, research has often considered defensive behaviour as entirely mediated by the brain processing threat-related information obtained via perception of the external environment. However, accumulating evidence suggests that the endocrine, immune, gastrointestinal and reproductive systems have important roles in modulating behavioural responses to threat. In this Review, we focus on how predatory threat defence responses are shaped by threat imminence and review the circuitry between subcortical brain regions involved in mediating defensive behaviours. Then, we discuss the intersection of peripheral systems involved in internal states related to infection, hunger and mating with the neurocircuits that underlie defence responses against predatory threat. Through this process, we aim to elucidate the interconnections between the brain and body as an integrated network that facilitates appropriate defensive responses to threat and to discuss the implications for future behavioural research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bernhard Schaefke
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengfei Wei
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Behaviour, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen, China.
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14
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Lee H, Weinberg-Wolf H, Lee HL, Lee T, Conte J, Godoy-Parejo C, Demb JB, Rudenko A, Kim IJ. Brn3b regulates the formation of fear-related midbrain circuits and defensive responses to visual threat. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002386. [PMID: 37983249 PMCID: PMC10695396 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002386] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Defensive responses to visually threatening stimuli represent an essential fear-related survival instinct, widely detected across species. The neural circuitry mediating visually triggered defensive responses has been delineated in the midbrain. However, the molecular mechanisms regulating the development and function of these circuits remain unresolved. Here, we show that midbrain-specific deletion of the transcription factor Brn3b causes a loss of neurons projecting to the lateral posterior nucleus of the thalamus. Brn3b deletion also down-regulates the expression of the neuropeptide tachykinin 2 (Tac2). Furthermore, Brn3b mutant mice display impaired defensive freezing responses to visual threat precipitated by social isolation. This behavioral phenotype could be ameliorated by overexpressing Tac2, suggesting that Tac2 acts downstream of Brn3b in regulating defensive responses to threat. Together, our experiments identify specific genetic components critical for the functional organization of midbrain fear-related visual circuits. Similar mechanisms may contribute to the development and function of additional long-range brain circuits underlying fear-associated behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyoseo Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Hannah Weinberg-Wolf
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Hae-Lim Lee
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Tracy Lee
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Joseph Conte
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Carlos Godoy-Parejo
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Jonathan B. Demb
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
| | - Andrii Rudenko
- Department of Biology, City College of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
- Graduate Programs in Biology and Biochemistry, City University of New York, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - In-Jung Kim
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America
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15
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Wu MS, Liao TW, Wu CY, Hsieh TH, Kuo PC, Li YC, Cheng KC, Chiang HC. Aversive conditioning information transmission in Drosophila. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113207. [PMID: 37782557 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113207] [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: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals rapidly acquire surrounding information to perform the appropriate behavior. Although social learning is more efficient and accessible than self-learning for animals, the detailed regulatory mechanism of social learning remains unknown, mainly because of the complicated information transfer between animals, especially for aversive conditioning information transmission. The current study revealed that, during social learning, the neural circuit in observer flies used to process acquired aversive conditioning information from demonstrator flies differs from the circuit used for self-learned classic aversive conditioning. This aversive information transfer is species dependent. Solitary flies cannot learn this information through social learning, suggesting that this ability is not an innate behavior. Neurons used to process and execute avoidance behavior to escape from electrically shocked flies are all in the same brain region, indicating that the fly brain has a common center for integrating external stimuli with internal states to generate flight behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Shiun Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Wei Liao
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Yuan Wu
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Han Hsieh
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Ping-Chung Kuo
- School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Yue-Chiun Li
- School of Pharmacy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Kuan-Chung Cheng
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Hsueh-Cheng Chiang
- Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan; Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, National Cheng-Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
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16
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Uselman TW, Jacobs RE, Bearer EL. Reconfiguration of brain-wide neural activity after early life adversity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.09.10.557058. [PMID: 38328213 PMCID: PMC10849645 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.10.557058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) predisposes individuals to both physical and mental disorders lifelong. How ELA affects brain function leading to this vulnerability is under intense investigation. Research has begun to shed light on ELA effects on localized brain regions within defined circuits. However, investigations into brain-wide neural activity that includes multiple localized regions, determines relationships of activity between regions and identifies shifts of activity in response to experiential conditions is necessary. Here, we performed longitudinal manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) to image the brain in normally reared or ELA-exposed adults. Images were captured in the freely moving home cage condition, and short- and long-term after naturalistic threat. Images were analyzed with new computational methods, including automated segmentation and fractional activation or difference volumes. We found that neural activity was increased after ELA compared to normal rearing in multiple brain regions, some of which are involved in defensive and/or reward circuitry. Widely distributed patterns of neural activity, "brain states", and their dynamics after threat were altered with ELA. Upon acute threat, ELA-mice retained heightened neural activity within many of these regions, and new hyperactive responses emerged in monoaminergic centers of the mid- and hindbrain. Nine days after acute threat, heightened neural activity remained within locus coeruleus and increased within posterior amygdala, ventral hippocampus, and dorso- and ventromedial hypothalamus, while reduced activity emerged within medial prefrontal cortical regions (prelimbic, infralimbic, anterior cingulate). These results reveal that functional imbalances arise between multiple brain-systems which are dependent upon context and cumulative experiences after ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor W Uselman
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131
| | - Russell E Jacobs
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
| | - Elaine L Bearer
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM 87131
- California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125
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17
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Adamczyk AK, Wyczesany M, Roelofs K, van Peer JM. Reappraisal is less effective than distraction in downregulation of neural responses to physical threats-An event-related potential investigation. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14316. [PMID: 37162260 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary threats (ETs), such as predatory animals and heights, elicit stronger fear responses and are more often the subject of specific phobias, as compared to modern threats (MTs, such as guns and motorcycles). Since processing of ET depends on lower-order, phylogenetically conserved neural fear circuits, it may be less susceptible to higher-order (vs. simpler) cognitive emotion regulation. Given the relevance for treatment of specific phobias, we tested this hypothesis in an ERP study. Sixty-one female participants passively watched high- and low-threat pictures of evolutionary (snakes, lizards) and modern (guns, water-guns) origin, and downregulated responses to the high-threat pictures (snakes and guns) using either cognitive reappraisal or a simpler cognitive distraction strategy. ET elicited stronger early (EPN) and sustained (LPP) attention processing compared to MT. Both strategies successfully downregulated subjective and LPP (but not EPN) responses compared to passive watching. Although reappraisal was more effective subjectively, distraction downregulated the LPP earlier and stronger than reappraisal, irrespective of the threat type. These findings provide novel evidence that neural responses to physical threat might be less susceptible to cognitive emotion regulation via higher-order (reappraisal) versus simpler (distraction) strategies, irrespective of the evolutionary or modern relevance of threat. Combining both strategies could be beneficial for the emotion regulation-enhancing interventions for specific phobias. Distraction could be used during initial exposure, to reduce immediate emotion responding and help endure the contact with the feared stimulus, whereas reappraisal could be used subsequently, when emotions are less intense, to change maladaptive thoughts about the stimulus for future encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka K Adamczyk
- Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Psychophysiology Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Miroslaw Wyczesany
- Psychophysiology Laboratory, Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Affective Neuroscience, Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacobien M van Peer
- Experimental Psychopathology and Treatment, Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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18
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Abend R. Understanding anxiety symptoms as aberrant defensive responding along the threat imminence continuum. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105305. [PMID: 37414377 PMCID: PMC10528507 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Threat-anticipatory defensive responses have evolved to promote survival in a dynamic world. While inherently adaptive, aberrant expression of defensive responses to potential threat could manifest as pathological anxiety, which is prevalent, impairing, and associated with adverse outcomes. Extensive translational neuroscience research indicates that normative defensive responses are organized by threat imminence, such that distinct response patterns are observed in each phase of threat encounter and orchestrated by partially conserved neural circuitry. Anxiety symptoms, such as excessive and pervasive worry, physiological arousal, and avoidance behavior, may reflect aberrant expression of otherwise normative defensive responses, and therefore follow the same imminence-based organization. Here, empirical evidence linking aberrant expression of specific, imminence-dependent defensive responding to distinct anxiety symptoms is reviewed, and plausible contributing neural circuitry is highlighted. Drawing from translational and clinical research, the proposed framework informs our understanding of pathological anxiety by grounding anxiety symptoms in conserved psychobiological mechanisms. Potential implications for research and treatment are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rany Abend
- School of Psychology, Reichman University, P.O. Box 167, Herzliya 4610101, Israel; Section on Development and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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19
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Li Y, Zhi W, Qi B, Wang L, Hu X. Update on neurobiological mechanisms of fear: illuminating the direction of mechanism exploration and treatment development of trauma and fear-related disorders. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1216524. [PMID: 37600761 PMCID: PMC10433239 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1216524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear refers to an adaptive response in the face of danger, and the formed fear memory acts as a warning when the individual faces a dangerous situation again, which is of great significance to the survival of humans and animals. Excessive fear response caused by abnormal fear memory can lead to neuropsychiatric disorders. Fear memory has been studied for a long time, which is of a certain guiding effect on the treatment of fear-related disorders. With continuous technological innovations, the study of fear has gradually shifted from the level of brain regions to deeper neural (micro) circuits between brain regions and even within single brain regions, as well as molecular mechanisms. This article briefly outlines the basic knowledge of fear memory and reviews the neurobiological mechanisms of fear extinction and relapse, which aims to provide new insights for future basic research on fear emotions and new ideas for treating trauma and fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Li
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Weijia Zhi
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Bing Qi
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Lifeng Wang
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Xiangjun Hu
- College of Education, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Laboratory of Experimental Pathology, Beijing Institute of Radiation Medicine, Beijing, China
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20
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Khalil V, Faress I, Mermet-Joret N, Kerwin P, Yonehara K, Nabavi S. Subcortico-amygdala pathway processes innate and learned threats. eLife 2023; 12:e85459. [PMID: 37526552 PMCID: PMC10449383 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral flexibility and timely reactions to salient stimuli are essential for survival. The subcortical thalamic-basolateral amygdala (BLA) pathway serves as a shortcut for salient stimuli ensuring rapid processing. Here, we show that BLA neuronal and thalamic axonal activity in mice mirror the defensive behavior evoked by an innate visual threat as well as an auditory learned threat. Importantly, perturbing this pathway compromises defensive responses to both forms of threats, in that animals fail to switch from exploratory to defensive behavior. Despite the shared pathway between the two forms of threat processing, we observed noticeable differences. Blocking β-adrenergic receptors impairs the defensive response to the innate but not the learned threats. This reduced defensive response, surprisingly, is reflected in the suppression of the activity exclusively in the BLA as the thalamic input response remains intact. Our side-by-side examination highlights the similarities and differences between innate and learned threat-processing, thus providing new fundamental insights.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Khalil
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Islam Faress
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Noëmie Mermet-Joret
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Peter Kerwin
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
| | - Keisuke Yonehara
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Department of Biomedicine, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Multiscale Sensory Structure Laboratory, National Institute of GeneticsMishimaJapan
- Department of Genetics, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI)MishimaJapan
| | - Sadegh Nabavi
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- DANDRITE, The Danish Research Institute of Translational Neuroscience, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
- Center for Proteins in Memory – PROMEMO, Danish National Research Foundation, Aarhus UniversityAarhusDenmark
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21
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Wu Q, Zhang Y. Neural Circuit Mechanisms Involved in Animals' Detection of and Response to Visual Threats. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:994-1008. [PMID: 36694085 PMCID: PMC10264346 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-023-01021-0] [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: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Evading or escaping from predators is one of the most crucial issues for survival across the animal kingdom. The timely detection of predators and the initiation of appropriate fight-or-flight responses are innate capabilities of the nervous system. Here we review recent progress in our understanding of innate visually-triggered defensive behaviors and the underlying neural circuit mechanisms, and a comparison among vinegar flies, zebrafish, and mice is included. This overview covers the anatomical and functional aspects of the neural circuits involved in this process, including visual threat processing and identification, the selection of appropriate behavioral responses, and the initiation of these innate defensive behaviors. The emphasis of this review is on the early stages of this pathway, namely, threat identification from complex visual inputs and how behavioral choices are influenced by differences in visual threats. We also briefly cover how the innate defensive response is processed centrally. Based on these summaries, we discuss coding strategies for visual threats and propose a common prototypical pathway for rapid innate defensive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Wu
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Yifeng Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, 200031, China.
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22
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Stegemann A, Liu S, Retana Romero OA, Oswald MJ, Han Y, Beretta CA, Gan Z, Tan LL, Wisden W, Gräff J, Kuner R. Prefrontal engrams of long-term fear memory perpetuate pain perception. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:820-829. [PMID: 37024573 PMCID: PMC10166861 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-023-01291-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
Abstract
A painful episode can lead to a life-long increase in an individual's experience of pain. Fearful anticipation of imminent pain could play a role in this phenomenon, but the neurobiological underpinnings are unclear because fear can both suppress and enhance pain. Here, we show in mice that long-term associative fear memory stored in neuronal engrams in the prefrontal cortex determines whether a painful episode shapes pain experience later in life. Furthermore, under conditions of inflammatory and neuropathic pain, prefrontal fear engrams expand to encompass neurons representing nociception and tactile sensation, leading to pronounced changes in prefrontal connectivity to fear-relevant brain areas. Conversely, silencing prefrontal fear engrams reverses chronically established hyperalgesia and allodynia. These results reveal that a discrete subset of prefrontal cortex neurons can account for the debilitating comorbidity of fear and chronic pain and show that attenuating the fear memory of pain can alleviate chronic pain itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Stegemann
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sheng Liu
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Yechao Han
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | - Zheng Gan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Linette Liqi Tan
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - William Wisden
- Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Johannes Gräff
- Laboratory of Neuroepigenetics, Brain Mind Institute, School of Life Sciences, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
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23
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Schroeder A, Pardi MB, Keijser J, Dalmay T, Groisman AI, Schuman EM, Sprekeler H, Letzkus JJ. Inhibitory top-down projections from zona incerta mediate neocortical memory. Neuron 2023; 111:727-738.e8. [PMID: 36610397 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Top-down projections convey a family of signals encoding previous experiences and current aims to the sensory neocortex, where they converge with external bottom-up information to enable perception and memory. Whereas top-down control has been attributed to excitatory pathways, the existence, connectivity, and information content of inhibitory top-down projections remain elusive. Here, we combine synaptic two-photon calcium imaging, circuit mapping, cortex-dependent learning, and chemogenetics in mice to identify GABAergic afferents from the subthalamic zona incerta as a major source of top-down input to the neocortex. Incertocortical transmission undergoes robust plasticity during learning that improves information transfer and mediates behavioral memory. Unlike excitatory pathways, incertocortical afferents form a disinhibitory circuit that encodes learned top-down relevance in a bidirectional manner where the rapid appearance of negative responses serves as the main driver of changes in stimulus representation. Our results therefore reveal the distinctive contribution of long-range (dis)inhibitory afferents to the computational flexibility of neocortical circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Schroeder
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany.
| | - M Belén Pardi
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Université Paris Cité, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Joram Keijser
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Einstein Center for Neurosciences Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tamas Dalmay
- Institute of Molecular and Clinical Ophthalmology Basel, 4031 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Ayelén I Groisman
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Erin M Schuman
- Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Henning Sprekeler
- Modelling of Cognitive Processes, Institute of Software Engineering and Theoretical Computer Science, Technische Universität Berlin, 10587 Berlin, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, 10115 Berlin, Germany; Science of Intelligence, Research Cluster of Excellence, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes J Letzkus
- Institute for Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, 79108 Freiburg, Germany; Center for Basics in NeuroModulation (NeuroModul Basics), University of Freiburg, 79106 Freiburg, Germany; IMBIT//BrainLinks-BrainTools, University of Freiburg, 79110 Freiburg, Germany.
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24
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de Almeida C, Chabbah N, Eyraud C, Fasano C, Bernard V, Pietrancosta N, Fabre V, El Mestikawy S, Daumas S. Absence of VGLUT3 Expression Leads to Impaired Fear Memory in Mice. eNeuro 2023; 10:ENEURO.0304-22.2023. [PMID: 36720646 PMCID: PMC9953049 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0304-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear is an emotional mechanism that helps to cope with potential hazards. However, when fear is generalized, it becomes maladaptive and represents a core symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Converging lines of research show that dysfunction of glutamatergic neurotransmission is a cardinal feature of trauma and stress related disorders such as PTSD. However, the involvement of glutamatergic co-transmission in fear is less well understood. Glutamate is accumulated into synaptic vesicles by vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs). The atypical subtype, VGLUT3, is responsible for the co-transmission of glutamate with acetylcholine, serotonin, or GABA. To understand the involvement of VGLUT3-dependent co-transmission in aversive memories, we used a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm in VGLUT3-/- mice. Our results revealed a higher contextual fear memory in these mice, despite a facilitation of extinction. In addition, the absence of VGLUT3 leads to fear generalization, probably because of a pattern separation deficit. Our study suggests that the VGLUT3 network plays a crucial role in regulating emotional memories. Hence, VGLUT3 is a key player in the processing of aversive memories and therefore a potential therapeutic target in stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille de Almeida
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Nida Chabbah
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Camille Eyraud
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Caroline Fasano
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal QC H4H 1R3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Véronique Bernard
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Nicolas Pietrancosta
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Véronique Fabre
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
| | - Salah El Mestikawy
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal QC H4H 1R3, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephanie Daumas
- Sorbonne Université, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Neuroscience Paris Seine - Institut de Biologie Paris Seine (NPS - IBPS), Paris 75005, France
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25
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Tseng YT, Liang L, Zhao B, Ye J, Wang L. Connectivity Map of Subthalamic Corticotropin-releasing Hormone Neurons in the Mouse Brain. Neurosci Bull 2023; 39:292-296. [PMID: 36064881 PMCID: PMC9905400 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-022-00939-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Ting Tseng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science - Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Lisha Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science - Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Binghao Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science - Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
| | - Jialin Ye
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science - Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Liping Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Connectome and Manipulation, the Brain Cognition and Brain Disease Institute, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Institute of Brain Science - Shenzhen Fundamental Research Institutions, Shenzhen, 518055, China.
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26
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Guimarães ATB, Freitas ÍN, Mubarak NM, Rahman MM, Rodrigues FP, Rodrigues ASDL, Barceló D, Islam ARMT, Malafaia G. Exposure to polystyrene nanoplastics induces an anxiolytic-like effect, changes in antipredator defensive response, and DNA damage in Swiss mice. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS 2023; 442:130004. [PMID: 36152541 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.130004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Revised: 09/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Although the in vivo toxicity of nanoplastics (NPs) has already been reported in different model systems, their effects on mammalian behavior are poorly understood. Thus, we aimed to evaluate whether exposure to polystyrene (PS) NPs (diameter: 23.03 ± 0.266 nm) alters the behavior (locomotor, anxiety-like and antipredator) of male Swiss mice, induces brain antioxidant activity, and erythrocyte DNA damage. For this, the animals were exposed to NPs for 20 days at different doses (6.5 ng/kg and 6500 ng/kg). Initially, we did not observe any effect of pollutants on the locomotor activity of the animals (inferred via open field test and Basso mouse scale for locomotion). However, we noticed an anxiolytic-like behavior (in the open field test) and alterations in the antipredatory defensive response of mice exposed to PS NPs, when confronted with their predator potential (snake, Pantherophis guttatus). Furthermore, such changes were associated with suppressing brain antioxidant activity, inferred by lower DPPH radical scavenging activity, reduced total glutathione content, as well as the translocation and accumulation of NPs in the brain of the animals. In addition, we noted that the treatments induced DNA damage, evaluated via a single-cell gel electrophoresis assay (comet assay) applied to circulating erythrocytes of the animals. However, we did not observe a dose-response effect for all biomarkers evaluated and the estimated accumulation of PS NPs in the brain. The values of the integrated biomarker response index and the results of the principal component analysis (PCA) and the hierarchical clustering analysis confirmed the similarity between the responses of animals exposed to different doses of PS NPs. Therefore, our study sheds light on how PS NPs can impact mammals and reinforce the ecotoxicological risk associated with the dispersion of these pollutants in natural environments and their uptake by mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ítalo Nascimento Freitas
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil
| | - Nabisab Mujawar Mubarak
- Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan BE1410, Brunei Darussalam
| | - Md Mostafizur Rahman
- Laboratory of Environmental Health and Ecotoxicology, Department of Environmental Sciences, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka 1342, Bangladesh
| | | | | | - Damià Barceló
- Catalan Institute for Water Research (ICRA-CERCA), H2O Building, Scientific and Technological Park of the University of Girona, Emili Grahit 101, 17003, Girona, Spain; Water and Soil Quality Research Group, Department of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), JordiGirona 1826, 08034, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Guilherme Malafaia
- Laboratory of Toxicology Applied to the Environment, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Conservation of Cerrado Natural Resources, Goiano Federal Institute, Urutaí, GO, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Ecology, Conservation, and Biodiversity, Federal University of Uberlândia, Uberlândia, MG, Brazil; Post-Graduation Program in Biotechnology and Biodiversity, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
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27
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Bertram T, Hoffmann Ayala D, Huber M, Brandl F, Starke G, Sorg C, Mulej Bratec S. Human threat circuits: Threats of pain, aggressive conspecific, and predator elicit distinct BOLD activations in the amygdala and hypothalamus. Front Psychiatry 2023; 13:1063238. [PMID: 36733415 PMCID: PMC9887727 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1063238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Threat processing, enabled by threat circuits, is supported by a remarkably conserved neural architecture across mammals. Threatening stimuli relevant for most species include the threat of being attacked by a predator or an aggressive conspecific and the threat of pain. Extensive studies in rodents have associated the threats of pain, predator attack and aggressive conspecific attack with distinct neural circuits in subregions of the amygdala, the hypothalamus and the periaqueductal gray. Bearing in mind the considerable conservation of both the anatomy of these regions and defensive behaviors across mammalian species, we hypothesized that distinct brain activity corresponding to the threats of pain, predator attack and aggressive conspecific attack would also exist in human subcortical brain regions. Methods Forty healthy female subjects underwent fMRI scanning during aversive classical conditioning. In close analogy to rodent studies, threat stimuli consisted of painful electric shocks, a short video clip of an attacking bear and a short video clip of an attacking man. Threat processing was conceptualized as the expectation of the aversive stimulus during the presentation of the conditioned stimulus. Results Our results demonstrate differential brain activations in the left and right amygdala as well as in the left hypothalamus for the threats of pain, predator attack and aggressive conspecific attack, for the first time showing distinct threat-related brain activity within the human subcortical brain. Specifically, the threat of pain showed an increase of activity in the left and right amygdala and the left hypothalamus compared to the threat of conspecific attack (pain > conspecific), and increased activity in the left amygdala compared to the threat of predator attack (pain > predator). Threat of conspecific attack revealed heightened activity in the right amygdala, both in comparison to threat of pain (conspecific > pain) and threat of predator attack (conspecific > predator). Finally, for the condition threat of predator attack we found increased activity in the bilateral amygdala and the hypothalamus when compared to threat of conspecific attack (predator > conspecific). No significant clusters were found for the contrast predator attack > pain. Conclusion Results suggest that threat type-specific circuits identified in rodents might be conserved in the human brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Bertram
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniel Hoffmann Ayala
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Neurosurgery, Klinikum Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Huber
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Felix Brandl
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Georg Starke
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- College of Humanities, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Christian Sorg
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Satja Mulej Bratec
- Department of Neuroradiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- TUM-NIC Neuroimaging Center, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
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28
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Ballotta D, Maramotti R, Borelli E, Lui F, Pagnoni G. Neural correlates of emotional valence for faces and words. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1055054. [PMID: 36910761 PMCID: PMC9996044 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1055054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Stimuli with negative emotional valence are especially apt to influence perception and action because of their crucial role in survival, a property that may not be precisely mirrored by positive emotional stimuli of equal intensity. The aim of this study was to identify the neural circuits differentially coding for positive and negative valence in the implicit processing of facial expressions and words, which are among the main ways human beings use to express emotions. Thirty-six healthy subjects took part in an event-related fMRI experiment. We used an implicit emotional processing task with the visual presentation of negative, positive, and neutral faces and words, as primary stimuli. Dynamic Causal Modeling (DCM) of the fMRI data was used to test effective brain connectivity within two different anatomo-functional models, for the processing of words and faces, respectively. In our models, the only areas showing a significant differential response to negative and positive valence across both face and word stimuli were early visual cortices, with faces eliciting stronger activations. For faces, DCM revealed that this effect was mediated by a facilitation of activity in the amygdala by positive faces and in the fusiform face area by negative faces; for words, the effect was mainly imputable to a facilitation of activity in the primary visual cortex by positive words. These findings support a role of early sensory cortices in discriminating the emotional valence of both faces and words, where the effect may be mediated chiefly by the subcortical/limbic visual route for faces, and rely more on the direct thalamic pathway to primary visual cortex for words.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ballotta
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Riccardo Maramotti
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Eleonora Borelli
- Department of Medical and Surgical, Maternal-Infantile and Adult Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fausta Lui
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Pagnoni
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
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29
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Batabyal A, Lukowiak K. Tracking the path of predator recognition in a predator-naive population of the pond snail. Behav Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Organisms evolve adaptive strategies to adjust to rapidly changing environmental stressors. Predation pressure is one of the strongest selective forces and organisms respond to predatory threats via innate and learned responses. We utilized a natural, experimental set-up, where two lakes Stoney and Margo in Canada containing natural populations of the prey Lymnaea stagnalis differed in the presence and absence of an invasive, predatory Northern crayfish, Faxonius virilis. We exploited the contrast in the predation backgrounds of the snail populations from the two lakes to test, 1) predator recognition in predator-experienced snails is innate, (2) predator-naive snails learn to detect a novel invasive predator, and 3) learning about a novel predator gets transmitted to the successive generations. We quantified predator fear memory formation using a higher-order learning paradigm called configural learning. We found that 1) predator recognition in predator-experienced snails is innate, 2) predator-naive snails learned to recognize the novel predator even after a brief exposure to predator cues highlighting the role of learning in combating invasive predators and the critical time-window during development that accounts for predator recognition, and 3) the learning and predator detection mechanism in predator-naive snails are not transmitted to successive generations. The population variation observed in the predator-detection mechanism may be due to the past and current experience of predators in one population over the other. We find an interesting study system to address how fear learning occurs and prospective future directions to understand the mechanism of innate fear recognition from a learned fear recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuradha Batabyal
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , 3330, Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 , Canada
- Department of Physical and Natural Sciences, FLAME University , Lavale, Off. Pune Bangalore Highway, Pune, Maharashtra 412115 , India
| | - Ken Lukowiak
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary , 3330, Hospital Drive, NW, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1 , Canada
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30
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Hyperacusis: Loudness Intolerance, Fear, Annoyance and Pain. Hear Res 2022; 426:108648. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2022.108648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Revised: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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31
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Kéri S. Trauma and Remembering: From Neuronal Circuits to Molecules. Life (Basel) 2022; 12:1707. [PMID: 36362862 PMCID: PMC9699199 DOI: 10.3390/life12111707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience intrusions of vivid traumatic memories, heightened arousal, and display avoidance behavior. Disorders in identity, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships are also common. The cornerstone of PTSD is altered learning, memory, and remembering, regulated by a complex neuronal and molecular network. We propose that the essential feature of successful treatment is the modification of engrams in their unstable state during retrieval. During psychedelic psychotherapy, engrams may show a pronounced instability, which enhances modification. In this narrative review, we outline the clinical characteristics of PTSD, its multifaceted neuroanatomy, and the molecular pathways that regulate memory destabilization and reconsolidation. We propose that psychedelics, acting by serotonin-glutamate interactions, destabilize trauma-related engrams and open the door to change them during psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szabolcs Kéri
- Department of Cognitive Science, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, 1111 Budapest, Hungary; ; Tel.: +36-1463-1273
- National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology, and Neurosurgery, 1145 Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Physiology, Albert Szent-Györgyi Medical School, University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
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32
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Baselmans B, Hammerschlag AR, Noordijk S, Ip H, van der Zee M, de Geus E, Abdellaoui A, Treur JL, van ’t Ent D. The Genetic and Neural Substrates of Externalizing Behavior. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:389-399. [PMID: 36324656 PMCID: PMC9616240 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background To gain more insight into the biological factors that mediate vulnerability to display externalizing behaviors, we leveraged genome-wide association study summary statistics on 13 externalizing phenotypes. Methods After data classification based on genetic resemblance, we performed multivariate genome-wide association meta-analyses and conducted extensive bioinformatic analyses, including genetic correlation assessment with other traits, Mendelian randomization, and gene set and gene expression analyses. Results The genetic data could be categorized into disruptive behavior (DB) and risk-taking behavior (RTB) factors, and subsequent genome-wide association meta-analyses provided association statistics for DB and RTB (N eff = 523,150 and 1,506,537, respectively), yielding 50 and 257 independent genetic signals. The statistics of DB, much more than RTB, signaled genetic predisposition to adverse cognitive, mental health, and personality outcomes. We found evidence for bidirectional causal influences between DB and substance use behaviors. Gene set analyses implicated contributions of neuronal cell development (DB/RTB) and synapse formation and transcription (RTB) mechanisms. Gene-brain mapping confirmed involvement of the amygdala and hypothalamus and highlighted other candidate regions (cerebellar dentate, cuneiform nucleus, claustrum, paracentral cortex). At the cell-type level, we noted enrichment of glutamatergic neurons for DB and RTB. Conclusions This bottom-up, data-driven study provides new insights into the genetic signals of externalizing behaviors and indicates that commonalities in genetic architecture contribute to the frequent co-occurrence of different DBs and different RTBs, respectively. Bioinformatic analyses supported the DB versus RTB categorization and indicated relevant biological mechanisms. Generally similar gene-brain mappings indicate that neuroanatomical differences, if any, escaped the resolution of our methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Baselmans
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Anke R. Hammerschlag
- Child Health Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Stephany Noordijk
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hill Ip
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Matthijs van der Zee
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Eco de Geus
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Abdel Abdellaoui
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jorien L. Treur
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dennis van ’t Ent
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health research institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Address correspondence to Dennis van ’t Ent, Ph.D.
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33
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Bhandiwad AA, Chu NC, Semenova SA, Holmes GA, Burgess HA. A cerebellar-prepontine circuit for tonic immobility triggered by an inescapable threat. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo0549. [PMID: 36170356 PMCID: PMC9519051 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Sudden changes in the environment are frequently perceived as threats and provoke defensive behavioral states. One such state is tonic immobility, a conserved defensive strategy characterized by powerful suppression of movement and motor reflexes. Tonic immobility has been associated with multiple brainstem regions, but the underlying circuit is unknown. Here, we demonstrate that a strong vibratory stimulus evokes tonic immobility in larval zebrafish defined by suppressed locomotion and sensorimotor responses. Using a circuit-breaking screen and targeted neuron ablations, we show that cerebellar granule cells and a cluster of glutamatergic ventral prepontine neurons (vPPNs) that express key stress-associated neuropeptides are critical components of the circuit that suppresses movement. The complete sensorimotor circuit transmits information from sensory ganglia through the cerebellum to vPPNs to regulate reticulospinal premotor neurons. These results show that cerebellar regulation of a neuropeptide-rich prepontine structure governs a conserved and ancestral defensive behavior that is triggered by an inescapable threat.
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Kang SJ, Liu S, Ye M, Kim DI, Pao GM, Copits BA, Roberts BZ, Lee KF, Bruchas MR, Han S. A central alarm system that gates multi-sensory innate threat cues to the amygdala. Cell Rep 2022; 40:111222. [PMID: 35977501 PMCID: PMC9420642 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Perception of threats is essential for survival. Previous findings suggest that parallel pathways independently relay innate threat signals from different sensory modalities to multiple brain areas, such as the midbrain and hypothalamus, for immediate avoidance. Yet little is known about whether and how multi-sensory innate threat cues are integrated and conveyed from each sensory modality to the amygdala, a critical brain area for threat perception and learning. Here, we report that neurons expressing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the parvocellular subparafascicular nucleus in the thalamus and external lateral parabrachial nucleus in the brainstem respond to multi-sensory threat cues from various sensory modalities and relay negative valence to the lateral and central amygdala, respectively. Both CGRP populations and their amygdala projections are required for multi-sensory threat perception and aversive memory formation. The identification of unified innate threat pathways may provide insights into developing therapeutic candidates for innate fear-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sukjae J Kang
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Shijia Liu
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Mao Ye
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Dong-Il Kim
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Gerald M Pao
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University, 1919-1 Tancha, Onna-son, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Bryan A Copits
- Washington University Pain Center, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - Benjamin Z Roberts
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Kuo-Fen Lee
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Michael R Bruchas
- Center of Excellence in the Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, and Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sung Han
- Peptide Biology Laboratory, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA; Department of Neurobiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA; Neurosciences Graduate Program, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
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35
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Velasco ER, Florido A, Flores Á, Senabre E, Gomez-Gomez A, Torres A, Roca A, Norrholm S, Newman EL, Das P, Ross RA, Lori A, Pozo OJ, Ressler KJ, Garcia-Esteve LL, Jovanovic T, Andero R. PACAP-PAC1R modulates fear extinction via the ventromedial hypothalamus. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4374. [PMID: 35902577 PMCID: PMC9334354 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31442-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to traumatic stress can lead to fear dysregulation, which has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous work showed that a polymorphism in the PACAP-PAC1R (pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide) system is associated with PTSD risk in women, and PACAP (ADCYAP1)-PAC1R (ADCYAP1R1) are highly expressed in the hypothalamus. Here, we show that female mice subjected to acute stress immobilization (IMO) have fear extinction impairments related to Adcyap1 and Adcyap1r1 mRNA upregulation in the hypothalamus, PACAP-c-Fos downregulation in the Medial Amygdala (MeA), and PACAP-FosB/ΔFosB upregulation in the Ventromedial Hypothalamus dorsomedial part (VMHdm). DREADD-mediated inhibition of MeA neurons projecting to the VMHdm during IMO rescues both PACAP upregulation in VMHdm and the fear extinction impairment. We also found that women with the risk genotype of ADCYAP1R1 rs2267735 polymorphism have impaired fear extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- E R Velasco
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Florido
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Á Flores
- Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Biologia Cel·lular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain
| | - E Senabre
- Laboratory of Neuropharmacology-NeuroPhar, Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, University Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Gomez-Gomez
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Torres
- Perinatal Mental health Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
- Programme for the Prevention and Treatment of Psychic Effects in Sexually Assaulted Women. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - A Roca
- Perinatal Mental health Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - S Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - E L Newman
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - P Das
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, New York, NY, USA
| | - R A Ross
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Psychiatry Research Institute of Montefiore and Einstein, New York, NY, USA
| | - A Lori
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- American Cancer Society, Inc., Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - O J Pozo
- Integrative Pharmacology and Systems Neuroscience Research Group, Neurosciences Research Program, IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - K J Ressler
- McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - L L Garcia-Esteve
- Perinatal Mental health Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Spain
- Programme for the Prevention and Treatment of Psychic Effects in Sexually Assaulted Women. Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - T Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - R Andero
- Departament de Psicobiologia i de Metodologia de les Ciències de la Salut, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red en Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
- Unitat de Neurociència Traslacional, Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari, Institut d'Investigació i Innovació Parc Taulí (I3PT), Institut de Neurociències, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain.
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Liu D, Li S, Ren L, Li X, Wang Z. The superior colliculus/lateral posterior thalamic nuclei in mice rapidly transmit fear visual information through the theta frequency band. Neuroscience 2022; 496:230-240. [PMID: 35724770 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Animals perceive threat information mainly from vision, and the subcortical visual pathway plays a critical role in the rapid processing of fear visual information. The superior colliculus (SC) and lateral posterior (LP) nuclei of the thalamus are key components of the subcortical visual pathway; however, how animals encode and transmit fear visual information is unclear. To evaluate the response characteristics of neurons in SC and LP thalamic nuclei under fear visual stimuli, extracellular action potentials (spikes) and local field potential signals were recorded under looming and dimming visual stimuli. The results showed that both SC and LP thalamic nuclei were strongly responsive to looming visual stimuli but not sensitive to dimming visual stimuli. Under the looming visual stimulus, the theta (θ) frequency bands of both nuclei showed obvious oscillations, which markedly enhanced the synchronization between neurons. The functional network characteristics also indicated that the network connection density and information transmission efficiency were higher under fear visual stimuli. These findings suggest that both SC and LP thalamic nuclei can effectively identify threatening fear visual information and rapidly transmit it between nuclei through the θ frequency band. This discovery can provide a basis for subsequent coding and decoding studies in the subcortical visual pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denghui Liu
- School of Electric Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology
| | - Shouhao Li
- School of Electric Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology
| | - Liqing Ren
- School of Electric Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology
| | - Xiaoyuan Li
- School of Electric Engineering, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology.
| | - Zhenlong Wang
- Henan Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Brain-Computer Interface Technology; School of Life Sciences, Zhengzhou University, 450001, Zhengzhou, China.
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37
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Richard Y, Tazi N, Frydecka D, Hamid MS, Moustafa AA. A systematic review of neural, cognitive, and clinical studies of anger and aggression. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 42:1-13. [PMID: 35693838 PMCID: PMC9174026 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03143-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Anger and aggression have large impact on people's safety and the society at large. In order to provide an intervention to minimise aggressive behaviours, it is important to understand the neural and cognitive aspects of anger and aggression. In this systematic review, we investigate the cognitive and neural aspects of anger-related processes, including anger-related behaviours and anger reduction. Using this information, we then review prior existing methods on the treatment of anger-related disorders as well as anger management, including mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy. At the cognitive level, our review that anger is associated with excessive attention to anger-related stimuli and impulsivity. At the neural level, anger is associated with abnormal functioning of the amygdala and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. In conclusions, based on cognitive and neural studies, we here argue that mindfulness based cognitive behavioural therapy may be better at reducing anger and aggression than other behavioural treatments, such as cognitive behavioural therapy or mindfulness alone. We provide key information on future research work and best ways to manage anger and reduce aggression. Importantly, future research should investigate how anger related behaviours is acquired and how stress impacts the development of anger.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nadia Tazi
- Arabian Gulf University, Manama, Bahrain
- Universite Med 5th, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Dorota Frydecka
- Department of Psychiatry, Wroclaw Medical University, Pasteur Street 10, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | | | - Ahmed A. Moustafa
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, 2193 South Africa
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Society and Design, Bond University, Gold Coast, QLD Australia
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38
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Dos Anjos-Garcia T, Kanashiro A, de Campos AC, Coimbra NC. Environmental Enrichment Facilitates Anxiety in Conflict-Based Tests but Inhibits Predator Threat-Induced Defensive Behaviour in Male Mice. Neuropsychobiology 2022; 81:225-236. [PMID: 35026760 DOI: 10.1159/000521184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Environmental enrichment (EE) is a useful and sophisticated tool that improves rodents' well-being by stimulating social behaviour and cognitive, motor, and sensory functions. Exposure to EE induces neuroplasticity in different brain areas, including the limbic system, which has been implicated in the control of anxiety and fear. However, the effects of EE on ethologically relevant naturalistic behaviours, such as those displayed by prey in the presence of predators, remain largely unexplored. MATERIAL AND METHODS In the present study, we investigated anxiety- and panic attack-like behaviours in a predator (cat)-prey confrontation paradigm and compared them with those in classical assays, such as the elevated plus-maze (EPM), marble-burying, and open field tests (OFTs), using C57BL/6J male mice housed in enriched or standard environments for 6 weeks. RESULTS We observed that EE exposure caused enhancement of the levels of anxiety-like behaviours in the EPM and OFTs, increasing risk assessment (an anxiety-related response), and decreasing escape (a panic attack-like response) behaviours during exposure to the predator versus prey confrontation paradigm. CONCLUSION Taken together, our findings suggest that enriched external environments can modify the processing of fear- and anxiety-related stimuli in dangerous situations, changing the decision-making defensive strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tayllon Dos Anjos-Garcia
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Behavioural Neurosciences Institute (INeC), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Kanashiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Post-Graduation Program in Neurology/Neurosciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Alline Cristina de Campos
- Department of Pharmacology, Pharmacology of Neuroplasticity Laboratory, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Norberto Cysne Coimbra
- Department of Pharmacology, Laboratory of Neuroanatomy and Neuropsychobiology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,NAP-USP-Neurobiology of Emotions Research Centre (NuPNE), Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil.,Behavioural Neurosciences Institute (INeC), São Paulo, Brazil.,Ophidiarium LNN-FMRP-USP/INeC, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Division of Neurology, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioural Sciences, Post-Graduation Program in Neurology/Neurosciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School of the University of São Paulo (FMRP-USP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Uselman TW, Medina CS, Gray HB, Jacobs RE, Bearer EL. Longitudinal manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of neural projections and activity. NMR IN BIOMEDICINE 2022; 35:e4675. [PMID: 35253280 PMCID: PMC11064873 DOI: 10.1002/nbm.4675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI) holds exceptional promise for preclinical studies of brain-wide physiology in awake-behaving animals. The objectives of this review are to update the current information regarding MEMRI and to inform new investigators as to its potential. Mn(II) is a powerful contrast agent for two main reasons: (1) high signal intensity at low doses; and (2) biological interactions, such as projection tracing and neural activity mapping via entry into electrically active neurons in the living brain. High-spin Mn(II) reduces the relaxation time of water protons: at Mn(II) concentrations typically encountered in MEMRI, robust hyperintensity is obtained without adverse effects. By selectively entering neurons through voltage-gated calcium channels, Mn(II) highlights active neurons. Safe doses may be repeated over weeks to allow for longitudinal imaging of brain-wide dynamics in the same individual across time. When delivered by stereotactic intracerebral injection, Mn(II) enters active neurons at the injection site and then travels inside axons for long distances, tracing neuronal projection anatomy. Rates of axonal transport within the brain were measured for the first time in "time-lapse" MEMRI. When delivered systemically, Mn(II) enters active neurons throughout the brain via voltage-sensitive calcium channels and clears slowly. Thus behavior can be monitored during Mn(II) uptake and hyperintense signals due to Mn(II) uptake captured retrospectively, allowing pairing of behavior with neural activity maps for the first time. Here we review critical information gained from MEMRI projection mapping about human neuropsychological disorders. We then discuss results from neural activity mapping from systemic Mn(II) imaged longitudinally that have illuminated development of the tonotopic map in the inferior colliculus as well as brain-wide responses to acute threat and how it evolves over time. MEMRI posed specific challenges for image data analysis that have recently been transcended. We predict a bright future for longitudinal MEMRI in pursuit of solutions to the brain-behavior mystery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor W. Uselman
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | | | - Harry B. Gray
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
| | - Russell E. Jacobs
- Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Elaine L. Bearer
- University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
- Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
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40
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Fan P, Song Y, Lu B, Wang Y, Dai Y, Xie J, He E, Xu Z, Yang G, Mo F, Liu J, Wang M, Cai X. PtNPs/PEDOT:PSS-Modified Microelectrode Arrays Reveal Electrophysiological Activities of Different Neurons in Medial Amygdala of Mice Under Innate Fear. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:868235. [PMID: 35620664 PMCID: PMC9127061 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.868235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial amygdala (MA) plays an important role in the innate fear circuit. However, the electrophysiological mechanism of MA for processing innate fear needs to be further explored. In this study, we fabricated microelectrode arrays (MEAs) with detecting sites arranged to match the location and shape of MA in mice and detected the electrophysiology in freely behaving mice under 2-methyl-2-thiazoline (2MT)-induced fear. The detection performance of MEA is improved by modifying metal nanoparticles and conductive polymers (PtNPs/PEDOT:PSS). After modification, the impedance magnitude and phase of electrodes were decreased to 27.0 ± 2.3 kΩ and −12.30 ± 0.52°, respectively, leading to a signal-to-noise ratio of 10. Its electrochemical stability and mechanical stability were also verified by cyclic voltammetry (CV) sweeping and ultrasonic vibration. MEAs were then implanted into the MA of mice, and the electrophysiology and behavioral characteristics were synchronously recorded and analyzed. The results showed that 2MT induced strong defensive behaviors in mice, accompanied by increases in the average spike firing rate and local field potential (LFP) power of MA neurons. According to principles commonly applied to cortical extracellular recordings, the recorded neurons are divided into two classes based on waveforms. Statistics showed that about 37% of type 1 neurons (putative GABAergic neurons) and 87% of type 2 neurons (putative glutamatergic neurons) were significantly activated under innate fear. At the same time, the firing rate of some activated neurons had a good linear correlation with the freezing rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Penghui Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yilin Song
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yilin Song
| | - Botao Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiding Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuchuan Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyu Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Enhui He
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaojie Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Gucheng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fan Mo
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Juntao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mixia Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xinxia Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- School of Electronic, Electrical and Communication Engineering, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Xinxia Cai
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41
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Oral short-chain fatty acids administration regulates innate anxiety in adult microbiome-depleted mice. Neuropharmacology 2022; 214:109140. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Bang JY, Sunstrum JK, Garand D, Parfitt GM, Woodin M, Inoue W, Kim J. Hippocampal-hypothalamic circuit controls context-dependent innate defensive responses. eLife 2022; 11:74736. [PMID: 35420543 PMCID: PMC9042231 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Preys use their memory - where they sensed a predatory threat and whether a safe shelter is nearby - to dynamically control their survival instinct to avoid harm and reach safety. However, it remains unknown which brain regions are involved, and how such top-down control of innate behaviour is implemented at the circuit level. Here, using adult male mice, we show that the anterior hypothalamic nucleus (AHN) is best positioned to control this task as an exclusive target of the hippocampus (HPC) within the medial hypothalamic defense system. Selective optogenetic stimulation and inhibition of hippocampal inputs to the AHN revealed that the HPC→AHN pathway not only mediates the contextual memory of predator threats but also controls the goal-directed escape by transmitting information about the surrounding environment. These results reveal a new mechanism for experience-dependent, top-down control of innate defensive behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jee Yoon Bang
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Danielle Garand
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Gustavo Morrone Parfitt
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, United States
| | - Melanie Woodin
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Wataru Inoue
- Robarts Research Institute, Western University, London, Canada
| | - Junchul Kim
- Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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43
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Hwang KD, Kim SJ, Lee YS. Cerebellar Circuits for Classical Fear Conditioning. Front Cell Neurosci 2022; 16:836948. [PMID: 35431810 PMCID: PMC9005982 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2022.836948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence indicates that the cerebellum is critically involved in modulating non-motor behaviors, including cognition and emotional processing. Both imaging and lesion studies strongly suggest that the cerebellum is a component of the fear memory network. Given the well-established role of the cerebellum in adaptive prediction of movement and cognition, the cerebellum is likely to be engaged in the prediction of learned threats. The cerebellum is activated by fear learning, and fear learning induces changes at multiple synaptic sites in the cerebellum. Furthermore, recent technological advances have enabled the investigation of causal relationships between intra- and extra-cerebellar circuits and fear-related behaviors such as freezing. Here, we review the literature on the mechanisms underlying the modulation of cerebellar circuits in a mammalian brain by fear conditioning at the cellular and synaptic levels to elucidate the contributions of distinct cerebellar structures to fear learning and memory. This knowledge may facilitate a deeper understanding and development of more effective treatment strategies for fear-related affective disorders including post-traumatic stress or anxiety related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Doo Hwang
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sang Jeong Kim
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Wide River Institute of Immunology, Seoul National University, Hongcheon, South Korea
| | - Yong-Seok Lee
- Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Department of Biomedical Science, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Neuroscience Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea
- Wide River Institute of Immunology, Seoul National University, Hongcheon, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Yong-Seok Lee
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44
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Alfieri V, Mattera A, Baldassarre G. Neural Circuits Underlying Social Fear in Rodents: An Integrative Computational Model. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:841085. [PMID: 35350477 PMCID: PMC8957808 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.841085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social avoidance in rodents arises from a complex interplay between the prefrontal cortex and subcortical structures, such as the ventromedial hypothalamus and the dorsal periaqueductal gray matter. Experimental studies are revealing the contribution of these areas, but an integrative view and model of how they interact to produce adaptive behavior are still lacking. Here, we present a computational model of social avoidance, proposing a set of integrated hypotheses on the possible macro organization of the brain system underlying this phenomenon. The model is validated by accounting for several different empirical findings and produces predictions to be tested in future experiments.
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45
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Genetic influences on central and peripheral nervous system activity during fear conditioning. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:95. [PMID: 35260551 PMCID: PMC8904491 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01861-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Fear conditioning is an evolutionarily conserved type of learning serving as a model for the acquisition of situationally induced anxiety. Brain function supporting fear conditioning may be genetically influenced, which in part could explain genetic susceptibility for anxiety following stress exposure. Using a classical twin design and functional magnetic resonance imaging, we evaluated genetic influences (h2) on brain activity and standard autonomic measures during fear conditioning. We found an additive genetic influence on mean brain activation (h2 = 0.34) and autonomic responses (h2 = 0.24) during fear learning. The experiment also allowed estimation of the genetic influence on brain activation during safety learning (h2 = 0.55). The mean safety, but not fear, related brain activation was genetically correlated with autonomic responses. We conclude that fear and safety learning processes, both involved in anxiety development, are moderately genetically influenced as expressed both in the brain and the body.
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Namkung H, Thomas KL, Hall J, Sawa A. Parsing neural circuits of fear learning and extinction across basic and clinical neuroscience: Towards better translation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104502. [PMID: 34921863 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.12.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decades, studies of fear learning and extinction have advanced our understanding of the neurobiology of threat and safety learning. Animal studies can provide mechanistic/causal insights into human brain regions and their functional connectivity involved in fear learning and extinction. Findings in humans, conversely, may further enrich our understanding of neural circuits in animals by providing macroscopic insights at the level of brain-wide networks. Nevertheless, there is still much room for improvement in translation between basic and clinical research on fear learning and extinction. Through the lens of neural circuits, in this article, we aim to review the current knowledge of fear learning and extinction in both animals and humans, and to propose strategies to fill in the current knowledge gap for the purpose of enhancing clinical benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ho Namkung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK; School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Akira Sawa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA; Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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47
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The mouse brain after foot shock in four dimensions: Temporal dynamics at a single-cell resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:2114002119. [PMID: 35181604 PMCID: PMC8872757 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114002119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress involves the majority of brain areas, which can be sequentially organized in functional brain networks as shown by our study with foot shock in mice. We used whole-brain microscopy to investigate different spatial resolutions over time. From mesoscale region–based analyses, we identified the order of activation of brain areas. With single-cell analyses, we analyzed shifts in activation over time within small nuclei—a result impossible to achieve with functional MRI’s resolution. These findings required the development of a four-dimensional (4D) analytical pipeline, which is made available as an R package. This “atlas” of foot shock can be visualized in 4D in our interactive web portal. Acute stress leads to sequential activation of functional brain networks. A biologically relevant question is exactly which (single) cells belonging to brain networks are changed in activity over time after acute stress across the entire brain. We developed a preprocessing and analytical pipeline to chart whole-brain immediate early genes’ expression—as proxy for cellular activity—after a single stressful foot shock in four dimensions: that is, from functional networks up to three-dimensional (3D) single-cell resolution and over time. The pipeline is available as an R package. Most brain areas (96%) showed increased numbers of c-fos+ cells after foot shock, yet hypothalamic areas stood out as being most active and prompt in their activation, followed by amygdalar, prefrontal, hippocampal, and finally, thalamic areas. At the cellular level, c-fos+ density clearly shifted over time across subareas, as illustrated for the basolateral amygdala. Moreover, some brain areas showed increased numbers of c-fos+ cells, while others—like the dentate gyrus—dramatically increased c-fos intensity in just a subset of cells, reminiscent of engrams; importantly, this “strategy” changed after foot shock in half of the brain areas. One of the strengths of our approach is that single-cell data were simultaneously examined across all of the 90 brain areas and can be visualized in 3D in our interactive web portal.
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48
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Tayeb Z, Dragomir A, Lee JH, Abbasi NI, Dean E, Bandla A, Bose R, Sundar R, Bezerianos A, Thakor NV, Cheng G. Distinct spatio-temporal and spectral brain patterns for different thermal stimuli perception. Sci Rep 2022; 12:919. [PMID: 35042875 PMCID: PMC8766611 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-04831-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the human brain's perception of different thermal sensations has sparked the interest of many neuroscientists. The identification of distinct brain patterns when processing thermal stimuli has several clinical applications, such as phantom-limb pain prediction, as well as increasing the sense of embodiment when interacting with neurorehabilitation devices. Notwithstanding the remarkable number of studies that have touched upon this research topic, understanding how the human brain processes different thermal stimuli has remained elusive. More importantly, very intense thermal stimuli perception dynamics, their related cortical activations, as well as their decoding using effective features are still not fully understood. In this study, using electroencephalography (EEG) recorded from three healthy human subjects, we identified spatial, temporal, and spectral patterns of brain responses to different thermal stimulations ranging from extremely cold and hot stimuli (very intense), moderately cold and hot stimuli (intense), to a warm stimulus (innocuous). Our results show that very intense thermal stimuli elicit a decrease in alpha power compared to intense and innocuous stimulations. Spatio-temporal analysis reveals that in the first 400 ms post-stimulus, brain activity increases in the prefrontal and central brain areas for very intense stimulations, whereas for intense stimulation, high activity of the parietal area was observed post-500 ms. Based on these identified EEG patterns, we successfully classified the different thermal stimulations with an average test accuracy of 84% across all subjects. En route to understanding the underlying cortical activity, we source localized the EEG signal for each of the five thermal stimuli conditions. Our findings reveal that very intense stimuli were anticipated and induced early activation (before 400 ms) of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Moreover, activation of the pre-frontal cortex, somatosensory, central, and parietal areas, was observed in the first 400 ms post-stimulation for very intense conditions and starting 500 ms post-stimuli for intense conditions. Overall, despite the small sample size, this work presents novel findings and a first comprehensive approach to explore, analyze, and classify EEG-brain activity changes evoked by five different thermal stimuli, which could lead to a better understanding of thermal stimuli processing in the brain and could, therefore, pave the way for developing a real-time withdrawal reaction system when interacting with prosthetic limbs. We underpin this last point by benchmarking our EEG results with a demonstration of a real-time withdrawal reaction of a robotic prosthesis using a human-like artificial skin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zied Tayeb
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany.
| | - Andrei Dragomir
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, 3517 Cullen Blvd, Houston, TX, 77204, USA
| | - Jin Ho Lee
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
| | - Nida Itrat Abbasi
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Emmanuel Dean
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Chalmers University of Technology, 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aishwarya Bandla
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
| | - Rohit Bose
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA
| | - Raghav Sundar
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Department of Haematology-Oncology, National University Cancer Institute, National University Hospital, 5 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore, 119074, Singapore
| | - Anastasios Bezerianos
- The N.1 Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, 28 Medical Dr. 05-COR, Singapore, 117456, Singapore
- Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), Centre for Research and Technology (CERTH), Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Nitish V Thakor
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Engineering Drive 3, #04-08, Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Gordon Cheng
- Institute for Cognitive Systems, Technical University of Munich, Arcisstraße 21, 80333, Munich, Germany
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Selbach C, Marchant L, Mouritsen KN. Mussel memory: can bivalves learn to fear parasites? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211774. [PMID: 35116166 PMCID: PMC8790352 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Fear plays a crucial role in predator-prey interactions and can have cascading impacts on the structure of whole ecosystems. Comparable fear effects have recently been described for hosts and their parasites but our understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains limited by the lack of empirical examples. Here, we experimentally tested if bivalves Mytilus edulis can potentially 'learn to fear' the infective transmission stages (cercariae) of the trematode Himasthla elongata, and if experienced mussels change their parasite-avoidance behaviour accordingly. Our results show that previous experience with parasites, but not established infections, lead to a reduced filtration activity in mussels in the presence of cercariae compared to parasite-naive conspecifics. This reduction in filtration activity resulted in lower infection rates in mussels. Since parasite avoidance comes at the cost of lower feeding rates, mussels likely benefit from the ability to adjust their defence behaviour when infection risks are high. Overall, these dynamic processes of avoidance behaviour can be expected to play a significant role in regulating the bivalves' ecosystem engineering function in coastal habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Selbach
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Centre for Water and Environmental Research, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Loïc Marchant
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Kim N. Mouritsen
- Department of Biology, Aquatic Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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50
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A non-canonical GABAergic pathway to the VTA promotes unconditioned freezing. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:4905-4917. [PMID: 36127430 PMCID: PMC9763111 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01765-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Freezing is a conserved defensive behaviour that constitutes a major stress-coping mechanism. Decades of research have demonstrated a role of the amygdala, periaqueductal grey and hypothalamus as core actuators of the control of fear responses, including freezing. However, the role that other modulatory sites provide to this hardwired scaffold is not known. Here, we show that freezing elicited by exposure to electrical foot shocks activates laterodorsal tegmentum (LDTg) GABAergic neurons projecting to the VTA, without altering the excitability of cholinergic and glutamatergic LDTg neurons. Selective chemogenetic silencing of this inhibitory projection, but not other LDTg neuronal subtypes, dampens freezing responses but does not prevent the formation of conditioned fear memories. Conversely, optogenetic-activation of LDTg GABA terminals within the VTA drives freezing responses and elicits bradycardia, a common hallmark of freezing. Notably, this aversive information is subsequently conveyed from the VTA to the amygdala via a discrete GABAergic pathway. Hence, we unveiled a circuit mechanism linking LDTg-VTA-amygdala regions, which holds potential translational relevance for pathological freezing states such as post-traumatic stress disorders, panic attacks and social phobias.
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