1
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Ashton SM, Smeets T, Quaedflieg CW. Controlling intrusive thoughts of future fears under stress. Neurobiol Stress 2023; 27:100582. [PMID: 38025283 PMCID: PMC10656271 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2023.100582] [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: 07/27/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Negative outlooks of our future may foster unwanted and intrusive thoughts. To some extent, individuals have control over their ability to suppress intrusions and downregulate their frequency. Acute stress impairs intentional suppression, leading to an increased frequency of intrusions. The aim of this study was to gain insight into the mechanism underlying stress-induced impairments in intentional suppression of intrusions by investigating the combined and independent roles of the two major stress hormones, noradrenaline and cortisol. Healthy participants (N = 181) were administered propranolol (to block the noradrenergic response), metyrapone (to block the cortisol response), or a placebo before being exposed to the Maastricht Acute Stress Test. Intrusive thoughts of autobiographical future fears were then measured via the Imagine/No-Imagine task. Results demonstrated that the stress response was successfully altered because of the drug and stress manipulations. In all groups, repeated suppression of future fears reduced intrusions. Across the sample, an enhanced decrease over time was associated with greater attenuation of anxiety towards the related fears. The groups did not differ in the total frequency of intrusions. Though, trait anxiety increased the total number of intrusions. Our findings show that stress hormones did not influence the ability to suppress intrusions. However, our results do add support to previous research linking anxiety to memory control deficits. When using autobiographical content, future research should focus on the quality and characteristics of the individual memories to explain more of the variation observed in intentional memory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Ashton
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Smeets
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Center of Research on Psychological Disorders and Somatic Diseases (CoRPS), Tilburg University, the Netherlands
| | - Conny W.E.M. Quaedflieg
- Department of Neuropsychology and Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
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2
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Drost L, Finke JB, Behrje A, Rebeck D, Domes G, Schächinger H. Optimal timing of oral metyrapone intake for the suppression of cold-pressor stress-induced cortisol release. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 156:106328. [PMID: 37393800 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pharmacological manipulation of cortisol levels is instrumental in elucidating mechanisms underlying acute stress effects and for distinguishing the physiological and behavioral effects of cortisol from those of the adrenergic system. Administration (oral or IV) of hydrocortisone is a direct and efficient method to elevate cortisol, and thus, frequently used in psychobiological stress research. However, lowering of cortisol (i.e. blockade of stress cortisol) requires a more sophisticated approach, such as the administration of the corticostatic compound metyrapone (MET). However, there is insufficient knowledge about the temporal dynamics of MET for the blocking of stress-induced cortisol reactivity. Thus, the present study aimed to build up an experimental protocol suitable to suppress acute behavioral stress-induced cortisol secretion by MET. METHODS 50 healthy young men were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups. They received 750 mg oral MET either 30 (n = 9), 45 (n = 11), or 60 (n = 10) minutes before exposure to a combined cold pressor and mental arithmetic test (stress induction), or were subjected to two different control treatments (placebo 60 min before stress (n = 10) or MET 30 min before non-stressful warm-water condition (n = 10)). Salivary cortisol concentration, hemodynamics, and subjective ratings were assessed. RESULTS Suppression of cold stress-induced cortisol release was strongest when MET intake was scheduled 30 min prior to stress onset. Cardiovascular stress-responses and subjective ratings remained unaffected by MET. CONCLUSION In healthy young males, 750 mg of MET efficiently block cold stress-induced cortisol release when oral administration is scheduled 30 min prior to stress onset. This finding may guide future research in improving timing of suppression of stress-induced cortisol secretion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Drost
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany.
| | - Johannes B Finke
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Str. 2a, 57076 Siegen, Germany
| | - Andreas Behrje
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Dagmar Rebeck
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schächinger
- Department of Clinical Psychophysiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany
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3
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Burenkova OV, Naumova OY, Grigorenko EL. Stress in the onset and aggravation of learning disabilities. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021; 61. [PMID: 34219858 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite substantial grounds for such research, the role of chronic exposure to stressors in the onset and aggravation of learning disabilities (LDs) is largely unexplored. In this review, we first consider the hormonal, (epi)genetic, and neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie the impact of adverse childhood experiences, a form of chronic stressors, on the onset of LDs. We then found that stress factors combined with feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem, and peer victimization could potentially further aggravate academic failures in children with LDs. Since effective evidence-based interventions for reducing chronic stress in children with LDs could improve their academic performance, consideration of the role of exposure to stressors in children with LDs has both theoretical and practical importance, especially when delivered in combination with academic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Oksana Yu Naumova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Elena L Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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4
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von Dawans B, Strojny J, Domes G. The effects of acute stress and stress hormones on social cognition and behavior: Current state of research and future directions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 121:75-88. [PMID: 33301780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress encompasses profound psychological and physiological changes that are observable on all levels, from cellular mechanisms, humoral changes, and brain activation to subjective experience and behavior. While the impact of stress on health has already been studied for decades, a more recent field of research has revealed effects of stress on human social cognition and behavior. Initial studies have attempted to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms of these stress-induced effects by measuring physiological responses or by using pharmacological approaches. We provide an overview of the current state of research on the effects of acute stress induction or pharmacological manipulations of stress-related neuro circuitry on social cognition and behavior. Additionally, we discuss the methodological challenges that need to be addressed in order to gain further insight into this important research topic and facilitate replicability of results. Future directions may help to disentangle the complex interplay of psychological and biological stress variables and their effects on social cognition and behavior on health and in disorders with social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Strojny
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany.
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5
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Dumont L, Marin MF, Lupien SJ, Juster RP. Sex Differences in Work-Stress Memory Bias and Stress Hormones. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10070432. [PMID: 32650392 PMCID: PMC7408118 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10070432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mental health problems related to chronic stress in workers appear to be sex-specific. Psychosocial factors related to work-life balance partly explain these sex differences. In addition, physiological markers of stress can provide critical information on the mechanisms explaining how chronic stress gets "under the skull" to increase vulnerability to mental health disorders in working men and women. Stress hormones access the brain and modulate attentional and memory process in favor of threatening information. In the present study, we tested whether male and female workers present a memory bias towards work-stress related information, and whether this bias is associated with concentrations of stress hormones in reactivity to a laboratory stressor (reactive levels) and samples taken in participants' workday (diurnal levels). In total, 201 participants (144 women) aged between 18 and 72 years underwent immediate and delayed recall tasks with a 24-word list, split as a function of valence (work-stress, positive, neutral). Participants were exposed to a psychosocial stressor in between recalls. Reactivity to stress was measured with saliva samples before and after the stressor. Diurnal cortisol was also measured with five saliva samples a day, during 2 workdays. Our exploratory results showed that men presented greater cortisol reactivity to stress than women, while women recalled more positive and neutral words than men. No sex difference was detected on the recall of work-stress words, before or after exposure to stress. These results do not support the hypothesis of a sex-specific cognitive bias as an explanatory factor for sex differences in stress-related mental health disorders in healthy male and female workers. However, it is possible that such a work-stress bias is present in individuals who have developed a mental-health disorder related to workplace stress or who have had one in the recent past. Consequently, future studies could use our stress memory bias task to assess this and other hypotheses in diverse working populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Dumont
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada; (M.-F.M.); (S.J.L.); (R.-P.J.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Marie-France Marin
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada; (M.-F.M.); (S.J.L.); (R.-P.J.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Sonia J. Lupien
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada; (M.-F.M.); (S.J.L.); (R.-P.J.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
| | - Robert-Paul Juster
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut Universitaire en Santé Mentale de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada; (M.-F.M.); (S.J.L.); (R.-P.J.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Addiction, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
- Center on Sex*Gender, Allostasis, and Resilience, Montreal, QC H1N 3V2, Canada
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6
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Bolsoni LM, Zuardi AW. Pharmacological interventions during the process of reconsolidation of aversive memories: A systematic review. Neurobiol Stress 2019; 11:100194. [PMID: 31832508 PMCID: PMC6889468 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2019.100194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 06/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Reconsolidation is the return of a memory to a transient state of lability, following memory consolidation, that can occur when memories are evoked. During the process of reconsolidation, memories may be modified by different means, including the administration of drugs, during a period called the "reconsolidation window”. This process has been widely studied in animals, but human studies are limited and include several methodological pitfalls. Our objective was to conducte a systematic review of the literature that utilizes pharmacological interventions during the process of reconsolidation of aversive memories in humans, with a critical analysis of the methodologies used. Searches were made in the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and SciELO using the following search terms: (memory) AND (consolidation OR reconsolidation) AND (pharmacological manipulation OR pharmacological intervention). We found 294 references and ten (3.4%) were included in the review, based on preestablished eligibility criteria. All studies were randomized, double-blind clinical trials. The most commonly studied drug was propranolol. Two studies used a protocol involving autobiographical aversive memories, while in the remaining aversive memories were produced in the laboratory. The timing of pharmacological interventions is a controversial issue in the field, as drug activity must occur within the reconsolidation window. The small number of studies and some methodological difficulties of this type of research highlights the need for studies that individually evaluate some of the issues discussed, particularly the timing of pharmacological interventions and the duration of reconsolidation windows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lívia Maria Bolsoni
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, University of São Paulo, Avenue Tenente Catão Roxo, 2650. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14051-140, Brazil
| | - Antonio Waldo Zuardi
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Science, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, University of São Paulo, Avenue Tenente Catão Roxo, 2650. Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, 14051-140, Brazil
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7
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Antypa D, Rodrigues Cabrita D, Vuilleumier P, Rimmele U. Cortisol suppression after memory reactivation impairs later memory performance. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 106:226-232. [PMID: 31003139 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 03/08/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Experiencing stressful or traumatic events can result in disabling clinical symptoms of maladaptive emotional memory retrieval, which are only partly addressed by the currently proposed treatments. Cortisol modulation has been shown to affect emotional memory retrieval and potentially reconsolidation, offering an opportunity for developing more efficient treatments for disorders with an emotional memory component. Here, we investigated if cortisol suppression after reactivation of emotional memories weakens later memory thereof. Forty healthy young men were tested in a randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind, and between-subject design, assigned either to a cortisol suppression (metyrapone) group or a placebo group. Participants of both groups, were presented with two emotional stories at an encoding session (Day 1). One of the two stories was later reactivated and followed by metyrapone vs. placebo administration (Day 3). Memory for both stories was tested at a recognition memory session (Day 7). In the group undergoing cortisol suppression after memory reactivation memory performance was weaker compared to the placebo group, tested four days after reactivation. This study shows that cortisol suppression can weaken memory for past events, possibly by altering reconsolidation processes and thus exerting long-lasting weakening effects on the original memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Antypa
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Condition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - David Rodrigues Cabrita
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Condition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Medicine, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Condition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Rimmele
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Condition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss National Center of Competences in Research LIVES - Overcoming vulnerabilities: life course perspective, Lausanne and Geneva, Switzerland.
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8
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Torres-Berrio A, Nava-Mesa MO. The opioid system in stress-induced memory disorders: From basic mechanisms to clinical implications in post-traumatic stress disorder and Alzheimer's disease. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019; 88:327-338. [PMID: 30118823 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2018] [Revised: 07/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive and emotional impairment are a serious consequence of stress exposure and are core features of neurological and psychiatric conditions that involve memory disorders. Indeed, acute and chronic stress are high-risk factors for the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD), two devastating brain disorders associated with memory dysfunction. Besides the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, stress response also involves the activation of the opioid system in brain regions associated with stress regulation and memory processing. In this context, it is possible that stress-induced memory disorders may be attributed to alterations in the interaction between the neuroendocrine stress system and the opioid system. In this review, we: (1) describe the effects of acute and chronic stress on memory, and the modulatory role of the opioid system, (2) discuss the contribution of the opioid system to the pathophysiology of PTSD and AD, and (3) present evidence of current and potential therapies that target the opioid receptors to treat PTSD- and AD-associated symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mauricio O Nava-Mesa
- Neuroscience Research Group (NEUROS), School of Medicine, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia.
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9
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Antypa D, Vuilleumier P, Rimmele U. Suppressing cortisol at encoding reduces the emotional enhancement in subjective sense of recollection. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:86-91. [PMID: 29940255 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/21/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The stress hormone cortisol, released when encountering an emotional event, contributes to form a strong emotional memory. Such emotionally arousing memories are recalled with an enhanced subjective sense of recollection, i.e. experienced in memory as more vivid and richer in details. We examined here whether cortisol plays a role in this emotional enhancement in subjective sense of recollection for a set of learned scenes. Suppressing cortisol at encoding decreased the emotional enhancement in subjective sense of recollection at a test 28 h later, but did not affect familiarity and memory for a contextual detail. Individual cortisol levels were significantly correlated to emotional enhancement in subjective sense of recollection. These findings indicate that cortisol plays a modulatory role for enhanced subjective sense of recollection for emotional events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Despina Antypa
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Department of Clinical Neurology, Geneva University Hospitals, Switzerland
| | - Ulrike Rimmele
- Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Switzerland; Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability (CIGEV), University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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10
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Activating attachment representations during memory retrieval modulates intrusive traumatic memories. Conscious Cogn 2017; 55:197-204. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Affiliation(s)
- Conny W. E. M. Quaedflieg
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
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12
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Harmatz ES, Stone L, Lim SH, Lee G, McGrath A, Gisabella B, Peng X, Kosoy E, Yao J, Liu E, Machado NJ, Weiner VS, Slocum W, Cunha RA, Goosens KA. Central Ghrelin Resistance Permits the Overconsolidation of Fear Memory. Biol Psychiatry 2017; 81:1003-1013. [PMID: 28010876 PMCID: PMC5447505 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 11/10/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are many contradictory findings about the role of the hormone ghrelin in aversive processing, with studies suggesting that ghrelin signaling can both inhibit and enhance aversion. Here, we characterize and reconcile the paradoxical role of ghrelin in the acquisition of fearful memories. METHODS We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay to measure endogenous acyl-ghrelin and corticosterone at time points surrounding auditory fear learning. We used pharmacological (systemic and intra-amygdala) manipulations of ghrelin signaling and examined several aversive and appetitive behaviors. We also used biotin-labeled ghrelin to visualize ghrelin binding sites in coronal brain sections of amygdala. All work was performed in rats. RESULTS In unstressed rodents, endogenous peripheral acyl-ghrelin robustly inhibits fear memory consolidation through actions in the amygdala and accounts for virtually all interindividual variability in long-term fear memory strength. Higher levels of endogenous ghrelin after fear learning were associated with weaker long-term fear memories, and pharmacological agonism of the ghrelin receptor during the memory consolidation period reduced fear memory strength. These fear-inhibitory effects cannot be explained by changes in appetitive behavior. In contrast, we show that chronic stress, which increases both circulating endogenous acyl-ghrelin and fear memory formation, promotes profound loss of ghrelin binding sites in the amygdala and behavioral insensitivity to ghrelin receptor agonism. CONCLUSIONS These studies provide a new link between stress, a novel type of metabolic resistance, and vulnerability to excessive fear memory formation and reveal that ghrelin can regulate negative emotionality in unstressed animals without altering appetite.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia S Harmatz
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Lauren Stone
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Seh Hong Lim
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Graham Lee
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Anna McGrath
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Barbara Gisabella
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Xiaoyu Peng
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Eliza Kosoy
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Junmei Yao
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Elizabeth Liu
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Nuno J Machado
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Veronica S Weiner
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Warren Slocum
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
| | - Rodrigo A Cunha
- Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal; Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ki A Goosens
- McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge.
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13
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Claflin DI, Schmidt KD, Vallandingham ZD, Kraszpulski M, Hennessy MB. Influence of postnatal glucocorticoids on hippocampal-dependent learning varies with elevation patterns and administration methods. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2017; 143:77-87. [PMID: 28545908 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2017.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 05/12/2017] [Accepted: 05/16/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent interest in the lasting effects of early-life stress has expanded to include effects on cognitive performance. An increase in circulating glucocorticoids is induced by stress exposure and glucocorticoid effects on the hippocampus likely underlie many of the cognitive consequences. Here we review studies showing that corticosterone administered to young rats at the conclusion of the stress-hyporesponsiveness period affects later performance in hippocampally-mediated trace eyeblink conditioning. The nature and even direction of these effects varies with the elevation patterns (level, duration, temporal fluctuation) achieved by different administration methods. We present new time course data indicating that constant glucocorticoid elevations generally corresponded with hippocampus-mediated learning deficits, whereas acute, cyclical elevations corresponded with improved initial acquisition. Sensitivity was greater for males than for females. Further, changes in hippocampal neurogenesis paralleled some but not all effects. The findings demonstrate that specific patterns of glucocorticoid elevation produced by different drug administration procedures can have markedly different, sex-specific consequences on basic cognitive performance and underlying hippocampal physiology. Implications of these findings for glucocorticoid medications prescribed in childhood are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dragana I Claflin
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
| | - Kevin D Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA; Applied Neuroscience Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory, 2510 Fifth St., Wright-Patterson AFB, OH 45433, USA.
| | - Zachary D Vallandingham
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
| | - Michal Kraszpulski
- Department of Neuroscience, Cell Biology and Physiology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
| | - Michael B Hennessy
- Department of Psychology, Wright State University, 3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy, Dayton, OH 45435, USA.
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14
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The glucocorticoid response in a free-living bird predicts whether long-lasting memories fade or strengthen with time. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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15
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Chen X, Ruider SA, Hartmann RW, González L, Maulide N. Metallfreiemeta-selektive Oxyarylierung von Alkinen mit Pyridin-N-oxiden: schnelle Synthese von Metyrapon-Analoga. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ange.201607988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Chen
- Institut für Organische Chemie; Universität Wien; Währinger Straße 38 1090 Wien Österreich
| | - Stefan A. Ruider
- Institut für Organische Chemie; Universität Wien; Währinger Straße 38 1090 Wien Österreich
- Institut für Theoretische Chemie; Universität Wien; Währinger Straße 17 1090 Wien Österreich
| | - Rolf W. Hartmann
- Pharmazeutische and Medizinische Chemie; Universität des Saarlandes und Helmholtz-Institut für Pharmazeutische Forschung; Campus E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Deutschland
| | - Leticia González
- Institut für Theoretische Chemie; Universität Wien; Währinger Straße 17 1090 Wien Österreich
| | - Nuno Maulide
- Institut für Organische Chemie; Universität Wien; Währinger Straße 38 1090 Wien Österreich
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16
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Chen X, Ruider SA, Hartmann RW, González L, Maulide N. Metal-Freemeta-Selective Alkyne Oxyarylation with PyridineN-Oxides: Rapid Assembly of Metyrapone Analogues. Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 2016; 55:15424-15428. [DOI: 10.1002/anie.201607988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyu Chen
- Institute of Organic Chemistry; University of Vienna; Währinger Strasse 38 1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Stefan A. Ruider
- Institute of Organic Chemistry; University of Vienna; Währinger Strasse 38 1090 Vienna Austria
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry; University of Vienna; Währinger Strasse 17 1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Rolf W. Hartmann
- Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry; Saarland University and Helmholtz Institute for Pharmaceutical Research; Campus E8.1 66123 Saarbrücken Germany
| | - Leticia González
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry; University of Vienna; Währinger Strasse 17 1090 Vienna Austria
| | - Nuno Maulide
- Institute of Organic Chemistry; University of Vienna; Währinger Strasse 38 1090 Vienna Austria
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Reconsolidation and psychopathology: Moving towards reconsolidation-based treatments. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2016; 142:162-171. [PMID: 27838441 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2016] [Revised: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 11/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Interfering with memory reconsolidation has valuable potential to be used as a treatment for maladaptive memories and psychiatric disorders. Numerous studies suggest that reconsolidation-based therapies may benefit psychiatric populations, but much remains unanswered. After reviewing the literature in clinical and healthy human populations, we discuss some of the major limitations to reconsolidation studies and clinical application. Finally, we provide recommendations for developing improved reconsolidation-based treatments, namely exploiting known boundary conditions and focusing on a novel unconditioned stimulus-retrieval paradigm.
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Atsak P, Guenzel FM, Kantar-Gok D, Zalachoras I, Yargicoglu P, Meijer OC, Quirarte GL, Wolf OT, Schwabe L, Roozendaal B. Glucocorticoids mediate stress-induced impairment of retrieval of stimulus-response memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 67:207-15. [PMID: 26923851 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Acute stress and elevated glucocorticoid hormone levels are well known to impair the retrieval of hippocampus-dependent 'declarative' memory. Recent findings suggest that stress might also impair the retrieval of non-hippocampal memories. In particular, stress shortly before retention testing was shown to impair the retrieval of striatal stimulus-response associations in humans. However, the mechanism underlying this stress-induced retrieval impairment of non-hippocampal stimulus-response memory remains elusive. In the present study, we investigated whether an acute elevation in glucocorticoid levels mediates the impairing effects of stress on retrieval of stimulus-response memory. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained on a stimulus-response task in an eight-arm radial maze until they learned to associate a stimulus, i.e., cue, with a food reward in one of the arms. Twenty-four hours after successful acquisition, they received a systemic injection of vehicle, corticosterone (1mg/kg), the corticosterone-synthesis inhibitor metyrapone (35mg/kg) or were left untreated 1h before retention testing. We found that the corticosterone injection impaired the retrieval of stimulus-response memory. We further found that the systemic injection procedure per se was stressful as the vehicle administration also increased plasma corticosterone levels and impaired the retrieval of stimulus-response memory. However, memory retrieval was not impaired when rats were tested 2min after the systemic vehicle injection, before any stress-induced elevation in corticosterone levels had occurred. Moreover, metyrapone treatment blocked the effect of injection stress on both plasma corticosterone levels and memory retrieval impairment, indicating that the endogenous corticosterone response mediates the stress-induced memory retrieval impairment. None of the treatments affected rats' locomotor activity or motivation to search for the food reward within the maze. These findings show that stress may affect memory processes beyond the hippocampus and that these stress effects are due to the action of glucocorticoids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piray Atsak
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Friederike M Guenzel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Deniz Kantar-Gok
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Arapsuyu, 07070 Antalya, Turkey
| | - Ioannis Zalachoras
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Piraye Yargicoglu
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Medicine, Akdeniz University, Arapsuyu, 07070 Antalya, Turkey
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Einthoven Laboratory for Experimental Vascular Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gina L Quirarte
- Departamento de Neurobiología Conductual y Cognitiva, Instituto de Neurobiología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Campus Juriquilla, Querétaro 76230, Mexico
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Cognitive Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, University of Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Benno Roozendaal
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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19
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The role of stress during memory reactivation on intrusive memories. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 123:28-34. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 04/05/2015] [Accepted: 04/14/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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20
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Reis FMCV, Almada RC, Fogaça MV, Brandão ML. Rapid Activation of Glucocorticoid Receptors in the Prefrontal Cortex Mediates the Expression of Contextual Conditioned Fear in Rats. Cereb Cortex 2015; 26:2639-49. [PMID: 25976757 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhv103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of glucocorticoids in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity and the expression of contextual conditioned fear (freezing). Rats were pretreated with vehicle or metyrapone, a corticosterone synthesis blocker, and exposed to a context previously paired with footshocks. Freezing and Fos-protein expression in different mPFC regions were assessed. Exposure to the aversive context led to increased freezing and Fos expression in the prelimbic (PrL), anterior cingulate areas 1 and 2 (Cg1/Cg2). Pretreatment with metyrapone decreased freezing and Fos expression in these areas. Administration of spironolactone, an MR antagonist, in the PrL before the test decreased freezing. Pretreatment with RU38486, a glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist, reduced this effect of spironolactone, suggesting that the effects of this MR antagonist may be attributable to a redirection of endogenous corticosterone actions to GRs. Consistent with this result, the decrease in freezing that was induced by intra-PrL injections of corticosterone was attenuated by pretreatment with RU38486 but not spironolactone. These findings indicate that corticosterone release during aversive conditioning influences mPFC activity and the retrieval of conditioned fear memory indicating the importance of balance between MR:GR-mediated effects in this brain region in this process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando M C V Reis
- Departamento de Psicologia, FFCLRP Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Rafael C Almada
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil Departamento de Farmacologia, FMRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Manoela V Fogaça
- Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil Departamento de Farmacologia, FMRP, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Departamento de Psicologia, FFCLRP Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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21
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Careaga MBL, Tiba PA, Ota SM, Suchecki D. Pre-test metyrapone impairs memory recall in fear conditioning tasks: lack of interaction with β-adrenergic activity. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:51. [PMID: 25784866 PMCID: PMC4347504 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive processes, such as learning and memory, are essential for our adaptation to environmental changes and consequently for survival. Numerous studies indicate that hormones secreted during stressful situations, such as glucocorticoids (GCs), adrenaline and noradrenaline, regulate memory functions, modulating aversive memory consolidation and retrieval, in an interactive and complementary way. Thus, the facilitatory effects of GCs on memory consolidation as well as their suppressive effects on retrieval are substantially explained by this interaction. On the other hand, low levels of GCs are also associated with negative effects on memory consolidation and retrieval and the mechanisms involved are not well understood. The present study sought to investigate the consequences of blocking the rise of GCs on fear memory retrieval in multiple tests, assessing the participation of β-adrenergic signaling on this effect. Metyrapone (GCs synthesis inhibitor; 75 mg/kg), administered 90 min before the first test of contextual or tone fear conditioning (TFC), negatively affected animals’ performances, but this effect did not persist on a subsequent test, when the conditioned response was again expressed. This result suggested that the treatment impaired fear memory retrieval during the first evaluation. The administration immediately after the first test did not affect the animals’ performances in contextual fear conditioning (CFC), suggesting that the drug did not interfere with processes triggered by memory reactivation. Moreover, metyrapone effects were independent of β-adrenergic signaling, since concurrent administration with propranolol (2 mg/kg), a β-adrenergic antagonist, did not modify the effects induced by metyrapone alone. These results demonstrate that pre-test metyrapone administration led to negative effects on fear memory retrieval and this action was independent of a β-adrenergic signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariella B L Careaga
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula A Tiba
- Centro de Matemática, Computação e Cognição, Universidade Federal do ABC São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Simone M Ota
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Departamento de Psicobiologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo São Paulo, Brazil
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22
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Rimmele U, Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Emotional memory can be persistently weakened by suppressing cortisol during retrieval. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 119:102-7. [DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 01/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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23
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Wood NE, Rosasco ML, Suris AM, Spring JD, Marin MF, Lasko NB, Goetz JM, Fischer AM, Orr SP, Pitman RK. Pharmacological blockade of memory reconsolidation in posttraumatic stress disorder: three negative psychophysiological studies. Psychiatry Res 2015; 225:31-39. [PMID: 25441015 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 125] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2014] [Revised: 08/15/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may involve over-consolidated emotional memories of the traumatic event. Reactivation (RP) can return a memory to an unstable state, from which it must be restabilized (reconsolidated) if it is to persist. Pharmacological agents administered while the memory is unstable have been shown to impair reconsolidation. The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) partial agonist d-cycloserine (DCS) may promote memory destabilization. In the three studies reported here, we investigated whether the β-adrenergic blocker propranolol or the glucocorticoid (GR) antagonist mifepristone, given at the time of traumatic memory reactivation, could reduce PTSD symptoms and physiological responding during subsequent traumatic imagery. Individuals with PTSD were randomized as follows: Study One: propranolol with memory reactivation (n=10) or without reactivation (n=8); Study Two: reactivation mifepristone (n=13), non-reactivation (NRP) mifepristone (n=15), or double placebo (PL) (n=15); Study Three: reactivation mifepristone plus d-cycloserine (n=16), or two placebos (n=15). Subjects underwent memory retrieval by describing their traumatic event. A week later they engaged in script-driven traumatic mental imagery, while heart rate (HR), skin conductance (SC), and facial electromyogram (EMG) responses were measured. There were no significant group differences in physiological responsivity or change in PTSD symptoms in any of the studies. These results do not support successful blockade of reconsolidation of traumatic memories in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nellie E Wood
- Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria L Rosasco
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Alina M Suris
- VA North Texas Health Care System, and Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | | | - Marie-France Marin
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 120 Second Ave, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Natasha B Lasko
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 120 Second Ave, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jared M Goetz
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 120 Second Ave, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | | | - Scott P Orr
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 120 Second Ave, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA
| | - Roger K Pitman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 120 Second Ave, Charlestown, Boston, MA 02129, USA.
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24
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Wheelan N, Webster SP, Kenyon CJ, Caughey S, Walker BR, Holmes MC, Seckl JR, Yau JLW. Short-term inhibition of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 reversibly improves spatial memory but persistently impairs contextual fear memory in aged mice. Neuropharmacology 2014; 91:71-6. [PMID: 25497454 PMCID: PMC4389269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Revised: 11/24/2014] [Accepted: 12/02/2014] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
High glucocorticoid levels induced by stress enhance the memory of fearful events and may contribute to the development of anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder. In contrast, elevated glucocorticoids associated with ageing impair spatial memory. We have previously shown that pharmacological inhibition of the intracellular glucocorticoid-amplifying enzyme 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) improves spatial memory in aged mice. However, it is not known whether inhibition of 11β-HSD1 will have any beneficial effects on contextual fear memories in aged mice. Here, we examined the effects of UE2316, a selective 11β-HSD1 inhibitor which accesses the brain, on both spatial and contextual fear memories in aged mice using a vehicle-controlled crossover study design. Short-term UE2316 treatment improved spatial memory in aged mice, an effect which was reversed when UE2316 was substituted with vehicle. In contrast, contextual fear memory induced by foot-shock conditioning was significantly reduced by UE2316 in a non-reversible manner. When the order of treatment was reversed following extinction of the original fear memory, and a second foot-shock conditioning was given in a novel context, UE2316 treated aged mice (previously on vehicle) now showed increased fear memory compared to vehicle-treated aged mice (previously on UE2316). Renewal of the original extinguished fear memory triggered by exposure to a new environmental context may explain these effects. Thus 11β-HSD1 inhibition reverses spatial memory impairments with ageing while reducing the strength and persistence of new contextual fear memories. Potentially this could help prevent anxiety-related disorders in vulnerable elderly individuals. Aged mice were treated with UE2316 using a vehicle-controlled crossover design. Short-term UE2316 treatment improves spatial memory in a reversible manner. Contextual fear memory retention was impaired with UE2316. Contextual fear memory effects persisted following reversal of treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Wheelan
- Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK; Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Scott P Webster
- Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Christopher J Kenyon
- Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sarah Caughey
- Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK; Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Brian R Walker
- Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Megan C Holmes
- Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK; Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Jonathan R Seckl
- Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK; Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK
| | - Joyce L W Yau
- Centre for Cognitive Aging and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, UK; Endocrinology Unit, BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, UK.
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25
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Bos MGN, Jacobs van Goethem TH, Beckers T, Kindt M. Cortisol response mediates the effect of post-reactivation stress exposure on contextualization of emotional memories. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 50:72-84. [PMID: 25197796 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Retrieval of traumatic experiences is often accompanied by strong feelings of distress. Here, we examined in healthy participants whether post-reactivation stress experience affects the context-dependency of emotional memory. First, participants studied words from two distinctive emotional categories (i.e., war and disease) presented against a category-related background picture. One day later, participants returned to the lab and received a reminder of the words of one emotional category followed by exposure to a stress task (Stress group, n=22) or a control task (Control group, n=24). Six days later, memory contextualization was tested using a word stem completion task. Half of the word stems were presented against the encoding context (i.e., congruent context) and the other half of the word stems were presented against the other context (i.e., incongruent context). The results showed that participants recalled more words in the congruent context than in the incongruent context. Interestingly, cortisol mediated the effect of stress exposure on memory contextualization. The stronger the post-reactivation cortisol response, the more memory performance relied on the contextual embedding of the words. Taken together, the current findings suggest that a moderate cortisol response after memory reactivation might serve an adaptive function in preventing generalization of emotional memories over contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke G N Bos
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tom Beckers
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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26
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Bos MGN, Schuijer J, Lodestijn F, Beckers T, Kindt M. Stress enhances reconsolidation of declarative memory. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 46:102-13. [PMID: 24882163 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2013] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/16/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Retrieval of negative emotional memories is often accompanied by the experience of stress. Upon retrieval, a memory trace can temporarily return into a labile state, where it is vulnerable to change. An unresolved question is whether post-retrieval stress may affect the strength of declarative memory in humans by modulating the reconsolidation process. Here, we tested in two experiments whether post-reactivation stress may affect the strength of declarative memory in humans. In both experiments, participants were instructed to learn neutral, positive and negative words. Approximately 24h later, participants received a reminder of the word list followed by exposure to the social evaluative cold pressor task (reactivation/stress group, nexp1=20; nexp2=18) or control task (reactivation/no-stress group, nexp1=23; nexp2=18). An additional control group was solely exposed to the stress task, without memory reactivation (no-reactivation/stress group, nexp1=23; nexp2=21). The next day, memory performance was tested using a free recall and a recognition task. In the first experiment we showed that participants in the reactivation/stress group recalled more words than participants in the reactivation/no-stress and no-reactivation/stress group, irrespective of valence of the word stimuli. Furthermore, participants in the reactivation/stress group made more false recognition errors. In the second experiment we replicated our observations on the free recall task for a new set of word stimuli, but we did not find any differences in false recognition. The current findings indicate that post-reactivation stress can improve declarative memory performance by modulating the process of reconsolidation. This finding contributes to our understanding why some memories are more persistent than others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke G N Bos
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jantien Schuijer
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Fleur Lodestijn
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tom Beckers
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Psychology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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27
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Vermetten E, Zhohar J, Krugers HJ. Pharmacotherapy in the aftermath of trauma; opportunities in the 'golden hours'. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2014; 16:455. [PMID: 24890991 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-014-0455-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Several lines of research have demonstrated that memories for fearful events become transiently labile upon re-exposure. Activation of molecular mechanisms is required in order to maintain retrieved information. This process is called reconsolidation. Targeting reconsolidation - as in exposure-based psychotherapy - offers therefore a potentially interesting tool to manipulate fear memories, and subsequently to treat disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this paper we discuss the evidence for reconsolidation in rodents and humans and highlight recent studies in which clinical research on normal and abnormal fear extinction reduction of the expression of fear was obtained by targeting the process of reconsolidation. We conclude that reconsolidation presents an interesting opportunity to modify or alter fear and fear-related memories. More clinical research on normal and abnormal fear extinction is required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Vermetten
- Department Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center Utrecht, Einthovenweg 20, 2333 ZC, Leiden, The Netherlands,
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28
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de Oliveira AR, Reimer AE, Brandão ML. Mineralocorticoid receptors in the ventral tegmental area regulate dopamine efflux in the basolateral amygdala during the expression of conditioned fear. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2014; 43:114-25. [PMID: 24703177 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2013] [Revised: 01/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite the recognized involvement of corticosteroids in the modulation of emotional behavior, the specific role of mineralocorticoid receptors (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) in the expression of conditioned fear responses is still open to investigation. The present study sought to clarify the involvement of both types of corticosteroid receptors in two different brain regions--the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and the basolateral amygdala complex (BLA)--on the expression of conditioned fear. The first experiment assessed the effects of intra-VTA or intra-BLA administration of spironolactone (MR antagonist) or mifepristone (GR antagonist) on the expression of conditioned freezing to a light-CS and on motor performance in the open-field test. Intra-VTA spironolactone, but not mifepristone, attenuated the expression of the conditioned freezing response whereas intra-BLA spironolactone or mifepristone had no significant effects. These treatments did not affect motor performance in the open-field test. Since dopamine is released in the BLA from the VTA during the expression of conditioned fear, the anxiolytic-like effect of decreased corticosteroid activity in the first experiment could be associated with changes in dopaminergic neurotransmission. The second experiment, using in vivo microdialysis, investigated the role of MRs in the VTA on dopamine levels in the BLA during the expression of conditioned fear. Blocking MRs locally in the VTA with spironolactone reduced dopamine efflux in the BLA and decreased the expression of conditioned freezing in response to the CS. Taken together, the data indicate that corticosterone, acting locally on MRs in the VTA, stimulates dopamine efflux in the BLA, which facilitates the expression of conditioned freezing to a light-CS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda R de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
| | - Adriano E Reimer
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
| | - Marcus L Brandão
- Laboratório de Psicobiologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil; Instituto de Neurociências e Comportamento (INeC), Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil
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de la Tremblaye PB, Raymond J, Milot MR, Merali Z, Plamondon H. Evidence of lasting dysregulation of neuroendocrine and HPA axis function following global cerebral ischemia in male rats and the effect of Antalarmin on plasma corticosterone level. Horm Behav 2014; 65:273-84. [PMID: 24444675 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2013] [Revised: 01/09/2014] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Abnormal function of the neuroendocrine stress system has been implicated in the behavioral impairments observed following brain ischemia. The current study examined long-term changes in stress signal regulation 30days following global cerebral ischemia. Experiment 1 investigated changes in the expression of corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and its subtype 1 receptor (CRHR1), glucocorticoid receptors (GR) in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA), and the CA1 subfield of the hippocampus. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was determined at the locus coeruleus (LC). Experiment 2 investigated the role of central CRHR1 activation on corticosterone (CORT) secretion at multiple time intervals following global ischemia after exposure to an acute stressor. Findings from Experiment 1 demonstrated a persistent increase in GR, CRH and CRHR1 immunoreactivity (ir) at the PVN, reduced GR and CRHR1 expression in pyramidal CA1 neurons, and increased LC TH expression in ischemic rats displaying working memory errors in the radial arm Maze. Findings from Experiment 2 revealed increased CORT secretion up to 7 days, but no longer present 14 and 21 days post ischemia. However upon an acute restraint stress induced 27 days following reperfusion, ischemic rats had increased plasma CORT secretions compared to sham-operated animals, suggesting HPA axis hypersensitivity. Antalarmin (2 μg/2 μl) pretreatment significantly attenuated post ischemic elevation of basal and stress-induced CORT secretion. These findings support persistent neuroendocrine dysfunctions following brain ischemia likely to contribute to emotional and cognitive impairments observed in survivors of cardiac arrest and stroke.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Behavior, Animal/drug effects
- Behavior, Animal/physiology
- Brain Ischemia/metabolism
- Brain Ischemia/physiopathology
- CA1 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- Central Amygdaloid Nucleus/metabolism
- Corticosterone/blood
- Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/drug effects
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/metabolism
- Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System/physiopathology
- Limbic System/drug effects
- Limbic System/metabolism
- Locus Coeruleus/metabolism
- Male
- Memory, Short-Term/physiology
- Neurosecretory Systems/drug effects
- Neurosecretory Systems/metabolism
- Neurosecretory Systems/physiopathology
- Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus/metabolism
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/drug effects
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/metabolism
- Pituitary-Adrenal System/physiopathology
- Pyrimidines/administration & dosage
- Pyrimidines/pharmacology
- Pyrroles/administration & dosage
- Pyrroles/pharmacology
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/antagonists & inhibitors
- Receptors, Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone/metabolism
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/metabolism
- Stress, Psychological/physiopathology
- Time Factors
- Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia B de la Tremblaye
- Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Julie Raymond
- Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Marc R Milot
- Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Zul Merali
- Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada; University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research (IMHR), 1145 Carling Avenue Ottawa, Ontario K1Z 7K4, Canada
| | - Hélène Plamondon
- Behavioural Neuroscience Group, School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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30
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Differential contribution of mineralocorticoid and glucocorticoid receptors to memory formation during sleep. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:2962-72. [PMID: 24035099 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Corticosteroids are known to modulate the consolidation of memories during sleep, specifically in the hippocampus-dependent declarative memory system. However, effects of the major human corticosteroid cortisol are conveyed via two different receptors, i.e., mineralocorticoid (MRs) and glucocorticoid receptors (GRs) whose specific contributions to memory consolidation are unclear. Whereas a shift in the balance between MR and GR activation toward predominant GR activation has been found to impair sleep-dependent consolidation of declarative memories, the effect of predominant MR activation is not well characterized. Here, we examined differential corticosteroid receptor contributions to memory consolidation during post-learning sleep in two placebo-controlled double-blind studies in humans, by comparing the effects of the selective MR agonist fludrocortisone (0.2 mg, orally, Study 1) and of hydrocortisone (22 mg, intravenously, Study 2) with strong binding affinity to both MR and GR. We hypothesized increased activation of MRs during sleep to enhance declarative memory consolidation, but the joint MR/GR activation to impair it. Participants (16 men in each study) learned a declarative (word pair associates) and a procedural task (mirror tracing) before a 7-h period of nocturnal retention sleep, with the substances administered before sleep (Study 1) and during sleep (Study 2), respectively. As hypothesized, retention of word pairs, but not of mirror tracing skill, was selectively enhanced by the MR agonist fludrocortisone. An impairing effect of hydrocortisone on word pair retention remained non-significant possibly reflecting that hydrocortisone administration failed to establish robust predominance of GR activation. Our results show that predominant MR activation benefits declarative memory consolidation presumably by enhancing the sleep-dependent reactivation of hippocampal memories and resultant synaptic plastic processes. The effect is counteracted by additional GR activation. Insufficient MR activation, like GR overactivation, might be a factor contributing to memory impairment in pathological conditions.
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31
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van Ast VA, Cornelisse S, Marin MF, Ackermann S, Garfinkel S, Abercrombie HC. Modulatory mechanisms of cortisol effects on emotional learning and memory: novel perspectives. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1874-82. [PMID: 23845515 PMCID: PMC3934796 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2013.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2012] [Revised: 05/17/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2013] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
It has long been known that cortisol affects learning and memory processes. Despite a wealth of research dedicated to cortisol effects on learning and memory, the strength or even directionality of the effects often vary. A number of the factors that alter cortisol's effects on learning and memory are well-known. For instance, effects of cortisol can be modulated by emotional arousal and the memory phase under study. Despite great advances in understanding factors that explain variability in cortisol's effects, additional modulators of cortisol effects on memory exist that are less widely acknowledged in current basic experimental research. The goal of the current review is to disseminate knowledge regarding less well-known modulators of cortisol effects on learning and memory. Since several models for the etiology of anxiety, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), incorporate stress and the concomitant release of cortisol as important vulnerability factors, enhanced understanding of mechanisms by which cortisol exerts beneficial as opposed to detrimental effects on memory is very important. Further elucidation of the factors that modulate (or alter) cortisol's effects on memory will allow reconciliation of seemingly inconsistent findings in the basic and clinical literatures. The present review is based on a symposium as part of the 42nd International Society of Psychoneuroendocrinology Conference, New York, USA, that highlighted some of those modulators and their underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A. van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sandra Cornelisse
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-France Marin
- Department of Psychiatry, Mass General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Studies on Human Stress, Mental Health University Institute of Montreal, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Sandra Ackermann
- Department of Psychology, Division of Molecular Neuroscience, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Sara Garfinkel
- Sackler Centre For Consciousness Science, Sussex Medical School, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Heather C. Abercrombie
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, United States of America
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Kuypers KPC, de la Torre R, Farre M, Pujadas M, Ramaekers JG. Inhibition of MDMA-induced increase in cortisol does not prevent acute impairment of verbal memory. Br J Pharmacol 2013; 168:607-17. [PMID: 22946487 PMCID: PMC3579237 DOI: 10.1111/j.1476-5381.2012.02196.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2012] [Revised: 07/31/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ecstasy use is commonly linked with memory deficits in abstinent ecstasy users. Similar impairments are being found during ecstasy intoxication after single doses of ± 3,4 metylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA). The concordance of memory impairments during intoxication and abstinence suggests a similar neuropharmacological mechanism underlying acute and chronic memory impairments. The mechanism underlying this impairment is to date not known. We hypothesized that cortisol might play an important role in this mechanism as cortisol, implicated in the regulation of memory performance, can be brought out of balance by stressors like MDMA. Methods In the present study, we aimed to block the MDMA-induced acute memory defect by giving participants a cortisol synthesis inhibitor (metyrapone) together with a single dose of MDMA. Seventeen polydrug MDMA users entered this placebo-controlled within subject study with four treatment conditions. The treatments consisted of MDMA (75 mg) and metyrapone (750 mg), alone and in combination, and double placebo. Pre-treatment with metyrapone or Placebo occurred 1 h prior to MDMA or Placebo administration. Memory performance was tested at peak drug concentrations by means of several memory tests. Cortisol levels were determined in blood and oral fluid; this served as a control measure to see whether manipulations were effective. Results Main findings indicated that whereas treatment with metyrapone blocked the expected MDMA-induced increase in cortisol levels in blood, it did not prevent the MDMA-induced memory deficit from happening. Conclusion We therefore conclude that MDMA-induced increments in cortisol concentrations are not related to MDMA-induced memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- K P C Kuypers
- Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology & Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
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Rimmele U, Besedovsky L, Lange T, Born J. Blocking mineralocorticoid receptors impairs, blocking glucocorticoid receptors enhances memory retrieval in humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:884-94. [PMID: 23303058 PMCID: PMC3671995 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2012] [Revised: 11/23/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Memory retrieval is impaired at very low as well as very high cortisol levels, but not at intermediate levels. This inverted-U-shaped relationship between cortisol levels and memory retrieval may originate from different roles of the mineralocorticoid (MR) and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) that bind cortisol with distinctly different affinity. Here, we examined the role of MRs and GRs in human memory retrieval using specific receptor antagonists. In two double-blind within-subject, cross-over designed studies, young healthy men were asked to retrieve emotional and neutral texts and pictures (learnt 3 days earlier) between 0745 and 0915 hours in the morning, either after administration of 400 mg of the MR blocker spironolactone vs placebo (200 mg at 2300 hours and 200 mg at 0400 hours, Study I) or after administration of the GR blocker mifepristone vs placebo (200 mg at 2300 hours, Study II). Blockade of MRs impaired free recall of both texts and pictures particularly for emotional material. In contrast, blockade of GRs resulted in better memory retrieval for pictures, with the effect being more pronounced for neutral than emotional materials. These findings indicate indeed opposing roles of MRs and GRs in memory retrieval, with optimal retrieval at intermediate cortisol levels likely mediated by high MR but concurrently low GR activation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrike Rimmele
- Department of Neurosciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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34
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35
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Besnard A, Caboche J, Laroche S. Reconsolidation of memory: A decade of debate. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 99:61-80. [PMID: 22877586 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2012] [Revised: 06/13/2012] [Accepted: 07/08/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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36
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Krugers HJ, Karst H, Joels M. Interactions between noradrenaline and corticosteroids in the brain: from electrical activity to cognitive performance. Front Cell Neurosci 2012; 6:15. [PMID: 22509154 PMCID: PMC3321636 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2012.00015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2012] [Accepted: 03/20/2012] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One of the core reactions in response to a stressful situation is the activation of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis which increases the release of glucocorticoid hormones from the adrenal glands. In concert with other neuro-modulators, such as (nor)adrenaline, these hormones enable and promote cognitive adaptation to stressful events. Recent studies have demonstrated that glucocorticoid hormones and noradrenaline, via their receptors, can both rapidly and persistently regulate the function of excitatory synapses which are critical for storage of information. Here we will review how glucocorticoids and noradrenaline alone and in synergy dynamically tune these synapses in the hippocampus and amygdala, and discuss how these hormones interact to promote behavioral adaptation to stressful situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harm J Krugers
- Center for Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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