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Mimura K, Matsumoto J, Mochihashi D, Nakamura T, Nishijo H, Higuchi M, Hirabayashi T, Minamimoto T. Unsupervised decomposition of natural monkey behavior into a sequence of motion motifs. Commun Biol 2024; 7:1080. [PMID: 39227400 PMCID: PMC11371840 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06786-2] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Nonhuman primates (NHPs) exhibit complex and diverse behavior that typifies advanced cognitive function and social communication, but quantitative and systematical measure of this natural nonverbal processing has been a technical challenge. Specifically, a method is required to automatically segment time series of behavior into elemental motion motifs, much like finding meaningful words in character strings. Here, we propose a solution called SyntacticMotionParser (SMP), a general-purpose unsupervised behavior parsing algorithm using a nonparametric Bayesian model. Using three-dimensional posture-tracking data from NHPs, SMP automatically outputs an optimized sequence of latent motion motifs classified into the most likely number of states. When applied to behavioral datasets from common marmosets and rhesus monkeys, SMP outperformed conventional posture-clustering models and detected a set of behavioral ethograms from publicly available data. SMP also quantified and visualized the behavioral effects of chemogenetic neural manipulations. SMP thus has the potential to dramatically improve our understanding of natural NHP behavior in a variety of contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koki Mimura
- Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
- Research Center for Medical and Health Data Science, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, 190-0014, Japan.
| | - Jumpei Matsumoto
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Daichi Mochihashi
- Department of Statistical Inference and Mathematics, The Institute of Statistical Mathematics, Tokyo, 190-9562, Japan
| | - Tomoaki Nakamura
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Intelligent Systems, The University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo, 182-8585, Japan
| | - Hisao Nishijo
- Department of System Emotional Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
- Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, 930-8555, Japan
| | - Makoto Higuchi
- Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Hirabayashi
- Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Takafumi Minamimoto
- Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan.
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Kuroda KO, Fukumitsu K, Kurachi T, Ohmura N, Shiraishi Y, Yoshihara C. Parental brain through time: The origin and development of the neural circuit of mammalian parenting. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2024; 1534:24-44. [PMID: 38426943 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.15111] [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] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
This review consolidates current knowledge on mammalian parental care, focusing on its neural mechanisms, evolutionary origins, and derivatives. Neurobiological studies have identified specific neurons in the medial preoptic area as crucial for parental care. Unexpectedly, these neurons are characterized by the expression of molecules signaling satiety, such as calcitonin receptor and BRS3, and overlap with neurons involved in the reproductive behaviors of males but not females. A synthesis of comparative ecology and paleontology suggests an evolutionary scenario for mammalian parental care, possibly stemming from male-biased guarding of offspring in basal vertebrates. The terrestrial transition of tetrapods led to prolonged egg retention in females and the emergence of amniotes, skewing care toward females. The nocturnal adaptation of Mesozoic mammalian ancestors reinforced maternal care for lactation and thermal regulation via endothermy, potentially introducing metabolic gate control in parenting neurons. The established maternal care may have served as the precursor for paternal and cooperative care in mammals and also fostered the development of group living, which may have further contributed to the emergence of empathy and altruism. These evolution-informed working hypotheses require empirical validation, yet they offer promising avenues to investigate the neural underpinnings of mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Kansai Fukumitsu
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Physiology, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Japan
| | - Takuma Kurachi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Department of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nami Ohmura
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Center for Brain, Mind and Kansei Sciences Research, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Yuko Shiraishi
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- Kawamura Gakuen Woman's University, Chiba, Japan
| | - Chihiro Yoshihara
- RIKEN Center for Brain Science, Saitama, Japan
- School of Life Sciences and Technologies, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Kanagawa, Japan
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3
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Liu Y, Shan L, Liu T, Li J, Chen Y, Sun C, Yang C, Bian X, Niu Y, Zhang C, Xi J, Rao Y. Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the first social relationship: A conserved role of 5-HT from mice to monkeys, upstream of oxytocin. Neuron 2023; 111:1468-1485.e7. [PMID: 36868221 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2023.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Maternal affiliation by infants is the first social behavior of mammalian animals. We report here that elimination of the Tph2 gene essential for serotonin synthesis in the brain reduced affiliation in mice, rats, and monkeys. Calcium imaging and c-fos immunostaining showed maternal odors activation of serotonergic neurons in the raphe nuclei (RNs) and oxytocinergic neurons in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). Genetic elimination of oxytocin (OXT) or its receptor reduced maternal preference. OXT rescued maternal preference in mouse and monkey infants lacking serotonin. Tph2 elimination from RN serotonergic neurons innervating PVN reduced maternal preference. Reduced maternal preference after inhibiting serotonergic neurons was rescued by oxytocinergic neuronal activation. Our genetic studies reveal a role for serotonin in affiliation conserved from mice and rats to monkeys, while electrophysiological, pharmacological, chemogenetic, and optogenetic studies uncover OXT downstream of serotonin. We suggest serotonin as the master regulator upstream of neuropeptides in mammalian social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Liu
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China.
| | - Liang Shan
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Tiane Liu
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Juan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yongchang Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Changhong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chaojuan Yang
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China
| | - Xiling Bian
- PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China
| | - Yuyu Niu
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China
| | - Jianzhong Xi
- State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Yi Rao
- Chinese Institutes for Medical Research (CIMR) and Department of Neurobiology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Neural Regeneration and Repair, Advanced Innovation Center for Human Brain Protection, Capital Medical University, Beijing 10069, China; PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking-Tsinghua Center for Life Sciences, School of Life Sciences, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China; Changping Laboratory, Yard 28, Science Park Road, Changping District, Beijing, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, Zhongguangcun Life Science Park, Beijing, China; Research Unit of Medical Neurobiology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.
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4
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Domínguez-Borràs J, Vuilleumier P. Amygdala function in emotion, cognition, and behavior. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2022; 187:359-380. [PMID: 35964983 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823493-8.00015-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a core structure in the anterior medial temporal lobe, with an important role in several brain functions involving memory, emotion, perception, social cognition, and even awareness. As a key brain structure for saliency detection, it triggers and controls widespread modulatory signals onto multiple areas of the brain, with a great impact on numerous aspects of adaptive behavior. Here we discuss the neural mechanisms underlying these functions, as established by animal and human research, including insights provided in both healthy and pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Domínguez-Borràs
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology & Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Department of Neuroscience and Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
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Vlasova RM, Iosif AM, Ryan AM, Funk LH, Murai T, Chen S, Lesh TA, Rowland DJ, Bennett J, Hogrefe CE, Maddock RJ, Gandal MJ, Geschwind DH, Schumann CM, Van de Water J, McAllister AK, Carter CS, Styner MA, Amaral DG, Bauman MD. Maternal Immune Activation during Pregnancy Alters Postnatal Brain Growth and Cognitive Development in Nonhuman Primate Offspring. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9971-9987. [PMID: 34607967 PMCID: PMC8638691 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0378-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Human epidemiological studies implicate exposure to infection during gestation in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Animal models of maternal immune activation (MIA) have identified the maternal immune response as the critical link between maternal infection and aberrant offspring brain and behavior development. Here we evaluate neurodevelopment of male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) born to MIA-treated dams (n = 14) injected with a modified form of the viral mimic polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid at the end of the first trimester. Control dams received saline injections at the same gestational time points (n = 10) or were untreated (n = 4). MIA-treated dams exhibited a strong immune response as indexed by transient increases in sickness behavior, temperature, and inflammatory cytokines. Although offspring born to control or MIA-treated dams did not differ on measures of physical growth and early developmental milestones, the MIA-treated animals exhibited subtle changes in cognitive development and deviated from species-typical brain growth trajectories. Longitudinal MRI revealed significant gray matter volume reductions in the prefrontal and frontal cortices of MIA-treated offspring at 6 months that persisted through the final time point at 45 months along with smaller frontal white matter volumes in MIA-treated animals at 36 and 45 months. These findings provide the first evidence of early postnatal changes in brain development in MIA-exposed nonhuman primates and establish a translationally relevant model system to explore the neurodevelopmental trajectory of risk associated with prenatal immune challenge from birth through late adolescence.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Women exposed to infection during pregnancy have an increased risk of giving birth to a child who will later be diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder. Preclinical maternal immune activation (MIA) models have demonstrated that the effects of maternal infection on fetal brain development are mediated by maternal immune response. Since the majority of MIA models are conducted in rodents, the nonhuman primate provides a unique system to evaluate the MIA hypothesis in a species closely related to humans. Here we report the first longitudinal study conducted in a nonhuman primate MIA model. MIA-exposed offspring demonstrate subtle changes in cognitive development paired with marked reductions in frontal gray and white matter, further supporting the association between prenatal immune challenge and alterations in offspring neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roza M Vlasova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Amy M Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Lucy H Funk
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Takeshi Murai
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Shuai Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Douglas J Rowland
- Center for Genomic and Molecular Imaging, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Jeffrey Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Casey E Hogrefe
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Richard J Maddock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Michael J Gandal
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, 90095
| | - Cynthia M Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Judy Van de Water
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Rheumatology/Allergy and Clinical Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - A Kimberley McAllister
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California, 95618
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27514
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
| | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- The MIND Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, California, 95817
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California, 95616
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Life and Death of Immature Neurons in the Juvenile and Adult Primate Amygdala. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22136691. [PMID: 34206571 PMCID: PMC8268704 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, a large population of immature neurons has been documented in the paralaminar nucleus of the primate amygdala. A substantial fraction of these immature neurons differentiate into mature neurons during postnatal development or following selective lesion of the hippocampus. Notwithstanding a growing number of studies on the origin and fate of these immature neurons, fundamental questions about the life and death of these neurons remain. Here, we briefly summarize what is currently known about the immature neurons present in the primate ventral amygdala during development and in adulthood, as well as following selective hippocampal lesions. We provide evidence confirming that the distribution of immature neurons extends to the anterior portions of the entorhinal cortex and layer II of the perirhinal cortex. We also provide novel arguments derived from stereological estimates of the number of mature and immature neurons, which support the view that the migration of immature neurons from the lateral ventricle accompanies neuronal maturation in the primate amygdala at all ages. Finally, we propose and discuss the hypothesis that increased migration and maturation of neurons in the amygdala following hippocampal dysfunction may be linked to behavioral alterations associated with certain neurodevelopmental disorders.
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Kenwood MM, Kalin NH. Nonhuman Primate Models to Explore Mechanisms Underlying Early-Life Temperamental Anxiety. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:659-671. [PMID: 33229035 PMCID: PMC7952470 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.08.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2020] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric disorders, causing significant suffering and disability. Behavioral inhibition is a temperament that is linked to an increased risk for the later development of anxiety disorders and other stress-related psychopathology, and understanding the neural systems underlying this dispositional risk could provide insight into novel treatment targets for anxiety disorders. Nonhuman primates (NHPs) have anxiety-related temperaments that are similar to those of humans with behavioral inhibition, facilitating the design of translational models related to human psychopathology. Characterization of our NHP model of behavioral inhibition, which we term anxious temperament (AT), reveals that it is trait-like. Exploration of the neural substrates of AT in NHPs has revealed a distributed neural circuit that is linked to individual differences in AT, which includes the dorsal amygdala. AT-related metabolism in the dorsal amygdala, including the central nucleus, is stable across time and can be detected even in safe contexts, suggesting that AT has trait-like neural signatures within the brain. The use of lesioning and novel chemogenetic methods allows for mechanistic perturbation of the amygdala to determine its causal contribution to AT. Studies characterizing the molecular bases for individual differences in AT in the dorsal amygdala, which take advantage of novel methods for probing cellular and molecular systems, suggest involvement of neurotrophic systems, which point to the importance of neuroplasticity in AT. These novel methods, when used in combination with translational NHP models such as AT, promise to provide insights into the brain systems underlying the early risk for anxiety disorder development.
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Noritake A, Ninomiya T, Isoda M. Subcortical encoding of agent-relevant associative signals for adaptive social behavior in the macaque. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 125:78-87. [PMID: 33609569 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2020] [Revised: 01/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Primates are group-living creatures that constantly face the challenges posed by complex social demands. To date, the cortical mechanisms underlying social information processing have been the major focus of attention. However, emerging evidence suggests that subcortical regions also mediate the collection and processing of information from other agents. Here, we review the literature supporting the hypothesis that behavioral variables important for decision-making, i.e., stimulus, action, and outcome, are associated with agent information (self and other) in subcortical regions, such as the amygdala, striatum, lateral hypothalamus, and dopaminergic midbrain nuclei. Such self-relevant and other-relevant associative signals are then integrated into a social utility signal, presumably at the level of midbrain dopamine neurons. This social utility signal allows decision makers to organize their optimal behavior in accordance with social demands. Determining how self-relevant and other-relevant signals might be altered in psychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders will be fundamental to better understand how social behaviors are dysregulated in disease conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atsushi Noritake
- Division of Behavioral Development, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 38 Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan
| | - Taihei Ninomiya
- Division of Behavioral Development, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 38 Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan
| | - Masaki Isoda
- Division of Behavioral Development, Department of System Neuroscience, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 38 Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8585, Japan; Department of Physiological Sciences, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Hayama, Kanagawa, 240-0193, Japan.
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Nowak R, Lévy F, Chaillou E, Cornilleau F, Cognié J, Marnet PG, Williams PD, Keller M. Neonatal Suckling, Oxytocin, and Early Infant Attachment to the Mother. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2021; 11:612651. [PMID: 33628199 PMCID: PMC7897683 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.612651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) promotes maternal care and social affiliation in adults but its importance in infant attachment still remains unknown. True animal models of infant attachment are extremely rare, and the sheep (in complement to non-human primates) is one of the few that provides the opportunity to investigate its neuroendocrinological basis. In the lamb, access to the udder has strong rewarding properties for the establishment of a preferential relationship with the mother. Therefore, the present study explored the possible involvement of OT through its release during close social contacts with the mother. The first experiment revealed that lambs having free access to the udder from birth onward developed, by 12 h of age, a clear preference for their mothers over another maternal ewe. Delaying access to the udder for six, four or even only 2 h starting at birth, by covering the ewe's udder, resulted in the lack of such a preference without affecting general activity. These effects persisted in most cases at 24 h but by 72 h of age a bond with the mother was clearly expressed. Experiment two showed that social interactions with the mother were followed by a release of OT in the plasma when lambs had the possibility to suckle. Non-nutritive interactions were without effects. Preliminary data on two subjects suggested that OT might also increase in the cerebrospinal fluid after suckling. Finally, in the third experiment, oral administration of a non-peptide OT receptor antagonist (L-368-899, Merck) over the first 4 h after birth led to decreased exploration of the mother's body compared to lambs receiving saline, and impaired the expression of a preference for the mother at 24 h. The effects were no longer observed at 48 h. Our findings demonstrate that both delayed access to the mother's udder and OT receptor antagonist alter the onset of mother preference in newborn lambs. This suggests that central OT facilitates the development of filial attachment through its release during suckling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond Nowak
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Frédéric Lévy
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Elodie Chaillou
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Fabien Cornilleau
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Juliette Cognié
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Pierre-Guy Marnet
- Département Productions Animales, Agroalimentaire, Nutrition (P3AN), Agrocampus Ouest, Rennes, France
| | - Peter D. Williams
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Merck, West Point, NY, United States
| | - Matthieu Keller
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (PRC), INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
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10
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Ryan AM, Murai T, Lau AR, Hogrefe CE, McAllister AK, Carter CS, Bauman MD. New approaches to quantify social development in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): Integrating eye tracking with traditional assessments of social behavior. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 62:950-962. [PMID: 32666534 PMCID: PMC8754470 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 05/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The nonhuman primate provides a sophisticated animal model system both to explore neurobiological mechanisms underlying complex behaviors and to facilitate preclinical research for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disease. A better understanding of evolutionarily conserved behaviors and brain processes between humans and nonhuman primates will be needed to successfully apply recently released NIMH guidelines (NOT-MH-19-053) for conducting rigorous nonhuman primate neurobehavioral research. Here, we explore the relationship between two measures of social behavior that can be used in both humans and nonhuman primates-traditional observations of social interactions with conspecifics and eye gaze detection in response to social stimuli. Infant male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) serving as controls (N = 14) for an ongoing study were observed in their social rearing groups and participated in a noninvasive, longitudinal eye-tracking study. We found significant positive relationships between time spent viewing eyes of faces in an eye tracker and number of initiations made for social interactions with peers that is consistent with similar observations in human populations. Although future studies are needed to determine if this relationship represents species-typical social developmental processes, these preliminary results provide a novel framework to explore the relationship between social interactions and social attention in nonhuman primate models for neurobehavioral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M. Ryan
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, Osaka, Japan
| | | | - Allison R. Lau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, Osaka, Japan
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis
| | | | | | - Cameron S. Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, Osaka, Japan
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11
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Medina A, Torres J, Kazama AM, Bachevalier J, Raper J. Emotional responses in monkeys differ depending on the stimulus type, sex, and neonatal amygdala lesion status. Behav Neurosci 2020; 134:153-165. [PMID: 32175761 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala plays an essential role in evaluating social information, threat detection, and learning fear associations. Yet, most of that knowledge comes from studies in adult humans and animals with a fully developed amygdala. Given the considerable protracted postnatal development of the amygdala, it is important to understand how early damage to this structure may impact the long-term development of behavior. The current study examined behavioral responses toward social, innate, or learned aversive stimuli among neonatal amygdala lesion (Neo-Aibo; males = 3, females = 3) or sham-operated control (Neo-C; males = 3, females = 4) rhesus macaques. Compared with controls, Neo-Aibo animals exhibited less emotional reactivity toward aversive objects, including faster retrieval of food reward, fewer fearful responses, and more manipulation of objects. This lower reactivity was only seen in response to social and innate aversive stimuli, whereas Neo-Aibo animals had similar responses to controls for learned aversive stimuli. The current study also detected sex differences in behavioral response to aversive stimuli, such that, as compared with males, females took longer to retrieve the food reward across all aversive stimuli types, but only expressed more hostility and more coo vocalizations during learned aversive trials. Early amygdala damage impacted the expression of some, but not all, sex differences. For example, neonatal amygdala damage eliminated the sex difference in object manipulation. These findings add important information that broaden our understanding of the role of the amygdala in the expression of sexually dimorphic behaviors, as well as its role in learning fear associations and threat detection. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jessica Raper
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University
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12
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Lemche E. Research evidence from studies on filial imprinting, attachment, and early life stress: a new route for scientific integration. Acta Ethol 2020; 23:127-133. [PMID: 33122872 PMCID: PMC7584526 DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 05/14/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Attachment is a concept that was developed and researched in developmental psychology in uptake of findings on filial imprinting from ethology. In the present period, however, attachment concepts are increasingly applied to and investigated in animal research, thereby translating back criteria that were established for human infants. It herein appears that findings on filial imprinting are becoming more and more forgotten, whilst basic findings in human infants are not reflected in investigations on attachment in animals. To re-integrate both domains, the present article undertakes the effort in briefly reviewing and recapitulating basic findings in human attachment and recent research on filial imprinting. In specific, replicated were critical roles of the conversion of thyroid prohormone by 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (Dio2) into triiodothyronine (T3) in the regulation of the timing of imprinting learning. Because of the interactions of T3 with oxytocinergic and dopaminergic neurones of the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus, these findings provide new neuroendocrinological insight for possible relations with both attachment and metabolic sequelae of early life stress. Necessary is a mutual integration of all recent advances in the yet separated fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erwin Lemche
- Section of Cognitive Neuropsychiatry and Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF UK
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13
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Theoharides TC, Kavalioti M. Effect of stress on learning and motivation-relevance to autism spectrum disorder. Int J Immunopathol Pharmacol 2019; 33:2058738419856760. [PMID: 31220952 PMCID: PMC6589959 DOI: 10.1177/2058738419856760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Learning and motivation are critical in the development of children, and to their acquisition of knowledge and skills. A case in point is autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a neurodevelopmental condition characterized by impaired social interactions and communication, as well as by stereotypic movements. Maternal stress has been strongly associated with increased risk of developing ASD. Children experience multiple stressors such as separation anxiety, fear of the unknown, physical and/or emotional trauma, bullying, as well as environmental exposures. Stress is well known to affect learning and motivation. However, patients with ASD have aggrevated tresponses to stress, especially fear response. There is extensive literature connecting the amygdala to social behavior and to pathophysiologic responses to stress. The amygdala regulate the responses to stress, and anatomical changes in amygdala have been reported in ASD. In particular, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), which is secreted under stress, is high in children with ASD and stimulates both mast cells and microglia, thus providing possible targets for therapy. Factors and/or circumstances that could interfere with the neurodevelopmental pathways involved in learning and motivation are clearly important and should be recognized early.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theoharis C Theoharides
- 1 Laboratory of Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery, Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA.,2 Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA, USA.,3 Department of Internal Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Maria Kavalioti
- 4 Biomedical Science Program, University of Greenwich, London, UK.,5 BrainGate, Thessaloniki, Greece
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14
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Ryan AM, Berman RF, Bauman MD. Bridging the species gap in translational research for neurodevelopmental disorders. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2019; 165:106950. [PMID: 30347236 PMCID: PMC6474835 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2018] [Revised: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The prevalence and societal impact of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) continue to increase despite years of research in both patient populations and animal models. There remains an urgent need for translational efforts between clinical and preclinical research to (i) identify and evaluate putative causes of NDD, (ii) determine their underlying neurobiological mechanisms, (iii) develop and test novel therapeutic approaches, and (iv) translate basic research into safe and effective clinical practices. Given the complexity behind potential causes and behaviors affected by NDDs, modeling these uniquely human brain disorders in animals will require that we capitalize on unique advantages of a diverse array of species. While much NDD research has been conducted in more traditional animal models such as the mouse, ultimately, we may benefit from creating animal models with species that have a more sophisticated social behavior repertoire such as the rat (Rattus norvegicus) or species that more closely related to humans, such as the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta). Here, we highlight the rat and rhesus macaque models for their role in previous psychological research discoveries, current efforts to understand the neurobiology of NDDs, and focus on the convergence of behavior outcome measures that parallel features of human NDDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Ryan
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, United States; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - R F Berman
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, United States; Department of Neurological Surgery, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - M D Bauman
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, United States; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States.
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15
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Almehmadi KA, Tsilioni I, Theoharides TC. Increased Expression of miR‐155p5 in Amygdala of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. Autism Res 2019; 13:18-23. [DOI: 10.1002/aur.2205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Revised: 08/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Khulood Abdullah Almehmadi
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Drug Development, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical SciencesTufts University Boston Massachusetts
- Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of ImmunologyTufts University School of Medicine Boston Massachusetts
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of PharmacyKing Abdulaziz University Jeddah Saudi Arabia
| | - Irene Tsilioni
- Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of ImmunologyTufts University School of Medicine Boston Massachusetts
| | - Theoharis C. Theoharides
- Graduate Program in Pharmacology and Drug Development, Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical SciencesTufts University Boston Massachusetts
- Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of ImmunologyTufts University School of Medicine Boston Massachusetts
- Department of Internal MedicineTufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center Boston Massachusetts
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16
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Theoharides TC, Kavalioti M, Tsilioni I. Mast Cells, Stress, Fear and Autism Spectrum Disorder. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3611. [PMID: 31344805 PMCID: PMC6696098 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20153611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2019] [Revised: 07/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/20/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a developmental condition characterized by impaired communication and obsessive behavior that affects 1 in 59 children. ASD is expected to affect 1 in about 40 children by 2020, but there is still no distinct pathogenesis or effective treatments. Prenatal stress has been associated with higher risk of developing ASD in the offspring. Moreover, children with ASD cannot handle anxiety and respond disproportionately even to otherwise benign triggers. Stress and environmental stimuli trigger the unique immune cells, mast cells, which could then trigger microglia leading to abnormal synaptic pruning and dysfunctional neuronal connectivity. This process could alter the "fear threshold" in the amygdala and lead to an exaggerated "fight-or-flight" reaction. The combination of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), secreted under stress, together with environmental stimuli could be major contributors to the pathogenesis of ASD. Recognizing these associations and preventing stimulation of mast cells and/or microglia could greatly benefit ASD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theoharis C Theoharides
- Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
- Sackler School of Graduate Biomedical Sciences, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
- Department of Internal Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Tufts University School of Medicine and Tufts Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.
| | - Maria Kavalioti
- Graduate Program in Education, Lesley University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Irene Tsilioni
- Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Immunology, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02111, USA
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17
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Qin D, Wu S, Chen Y, Hu X. Behavioral screening tools for identifying autism in macaques: existing and promising tests. Brain Res Bull 2019; 146:87-93. [PMID: 30605712 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 12/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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18
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Gabard-Durnam LJ, O'Muircheartaigh J, Dirks H, Dean DC, Tottenham N, Deoni S. Human amygdala functional network development: A cross-sectional study from 3 months to 5 years of age. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 34:63-74. [PMID: 30075348 PMCID: PMC6252269 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Revised: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although the amygdala's role in shaping social behavior is especially important during early post-natal development, very little is known of amygdala functional development before childhood. To address this gap, this study uses resting-state fMRI to examine early amygdalar functional network development in a cross-sectional sample of 80 children from 3-months to 5-years of age. Whole brain functional connectivity with the amygdala, and its laterobasal and superficial sub-regions, were largely similar to those seen in older children and adults. Functional distinctions between sub-region networks were already established. These patterns suggest many amygdala functional circuits are intact from infancy, especially those that are part of motor, visual, auditory and subcortical networks. Developmental changes in connectivity were observed between the laterobasal nucleus and bilateral ventral temporal and motor cortex as well as between the superficial nuclei and medial thalamus, occipital cortex and a different region of motor cortex. These results show amygdala-subcortical and sensory-cortex connectivity begins refinement prior to childhood, though connectivity changes with associative and frontal cortical areas, seen after early childhood, were not evident in this age range. These findings represent early steps in understanding amygdala network dynamics across infancy through early childhood, an important period of emotional and cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- L J Gabard-Durnam
- Division of Developmental Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - J O'Muircheartaigh
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences & Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - H Dirks
- Advanced Baby Imaging Lab, Brown University School of Engineering, Providence, USA
| | - D C Dean
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53702, USA; Center for Healthy Minds, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53702, USA
| | - N Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, 10027, USA
| | - S Deoni
- Department of Pediatrics, Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University, Providence, USA
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19
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Abstract
Attachment theory was developed by John Bowlby in the 1950s. He defined attachment as a specific neurobiological system that resulted in the infant connecting to the primary caretaker in such a way to create an inner working model of relationships that continues throughout life and affects the future mental health and physical health of the infant. Given the significance of this inner working model, there has been a tremendous amount of research done in animals as well as humans to better understand the neurobiology. In this article the neurobiology of early development will be outlined with respect to the formation of attachment. This article will review what we have begun to understand as the neurobiology of attachment and will describe how the relationship with the primary caretaker affects the infant in a way leading to neurobiological changes that later in life affect emotional responses, reward, and perception difficulties that we recognize as psychiatric illness and medical morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Chambers
- Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine; Chair of Scientific Programs, American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry
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20
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Grayson DS, Bliss-Moreau E, Bennett J, Lavenex P, Amaral DG. Neural Reorganization Due to Neonatal Amygdala Lesions in the Rhesus Monkey: Changes in Morphology and Network Structure. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:3240-3253. [PMID: 28383709 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
It is generally believed that neural damage that occurs early in development is associated with greater adaptive capacity relative to similar damage in an older individual. However, few studies have surveyed whole brain changes following early focal damage. In this report, we employed multimodal magnetic resonance imaging analyses of adult rhesus macaque monkeys who had previously undergone bilateral, neurotoxic lesions of the amygdala at about 2 weeks of age. A deformation-based morphometric approach demonstrated reduction of the volumes of the anterior temporal lobe, anterior commissure, basal ganglia, and pulvinar in animals with early amygdala lesions compared to controls. In contrast, animals with early amygdala lesions had an enlarged cingulate cortex, medial superior frontal gyrus, and medial parietal cortex. Diffusion-weighted imaging tractography and network analysis were also used to compare connectivity patterns and higher-level measures of communication across the brain. Using the communicability metric, which integrates direct and indirect paths between regions, lesioned animals showed extensive degradation of network integrity in the temporal and orbitofrontal cortices. This work demonstrates both degenerative as well as progressive large-scale neural changes following long-term recovery from neonatal focal brain damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- D S Grayson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,The MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA
| | - E Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - J Bennett
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,The MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - P Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, Fribourg Center for Cognition, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland.,Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - D G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,The MIND Institute, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.,California National Primate Research Center, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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21
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Bauman MD, Schumann CM. Advances in nonhuman primate models of autism: Integrating neuroscience and behavior. Exp Neurol 2017; 299:252-265. [PMID: 28774750 DOI: 10.1016/j.expneurol.2017.07.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/30/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Given the prevalence and societal impact of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), there is an urgent need to develop innovative preventative strategies and treatments to reduce the alarming number of cases and improve core symptoms for afflicted individuals. Translational efforts between clinical and preclinical research are needed to (i) identify and evaluate putative causes of ASD, (ii) determine the underlying neurobiological mechanisms, (iii) develop and test novel therapeutic approaches and (iv) ultimately translate basic research into safe and effective clinical practices. However, modeling a uniquely human brain disorder, such as ASD, will require sophisticated animal models that capitalize on unique advantages of diverse species including drosophila, zebra fish, mice, rats, and ultimately, species more closely related to humans, such as the nonhuman primate. Here we discuss the unique contributions of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) model to ongoing efforts to understand the neurobiology of the disorder, focusing on the convergence of brain and behavior outcome measures that parallel features of human ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Bauman
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, USA.
| | - C M Schumann
- The UC Davis MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, USA
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22
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Amygdala Volume Differences in Autism Spectrum Disorder Are Related to Anxiety. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:3682-3691. [DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3206-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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23
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Basile BM, Karaskiewicz CL, Fiuzat EC, Malkova L, Murray EA. MRI Overestimates Excitotoxic Amygdala Lesion Damage in Rhesus Monkeys. Front Integr Neurosci 2017. [PMID: 28642691 PMCID: PMC5462941 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2017.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Selective, fiber-sparing excitotoxic lesions are a state-of-the-art tool for determining the causal contributions of different brain areas to behavior. For nonhuman primates especially, it is advantageous to keep subjects with high-quality lesions alive and contributing to science for many years. However, this requires the ability to estimate lesion extent accurately. Previous research has shown that in vivo T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) accurately estimates damage following selective ibotenic acid lesions of the hippocampus. Here, we show that the same does not apply to lesions of the amygdala. Across 19 hemispheres from 13 rhesus monkeys, MRI assessment consistently overestimated amygdala damage as assessed by microscopic examination of Nissl-stained histological material. Two outliers suggested a linear relation for lower damage levels, and values of unintended amygdala damage from a previous study fell directly on that regression line, demonstrating that T2 hypersignal accurately predicts damage levels below 50%. For unintended damage, MRI estimates correlated with histological assessment for entorhinal cortex, perirhinal cortex and hippocampus, though MRI significantly overestimated the extent of that damage in all structures. Nevertheless, ibotenic acid injections routinely produced extensive intentional amygdala damage with minimal unintended damage to surrounding structures, validating the general success of the technique. The field will benefit from more research into in vivo lesion assessment techniques, and additional evaluation of the accuracy of MRI assessment in different brain areas. For now, in vivo MRI assessment of ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala can be used to confirm successful injections, but MRI estimates of lesion extent should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M Basile
- Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chloe L Karaskiewicz
- Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Emily C Fiuzat
- Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Ludise Malkova
- Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Georgetown University Medical CenterWashington, DC, United States
| | - Elisabeth A Murray
- Section on the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Bethesda, MD, United States
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24
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Functional organization of the medial temporal lobe memory system following neonatal hippocampal lesion in rhesus monkeys. Brain Struct Funct 2017; 222:3899-3914. [PMID: 28488186 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-017-1441-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hippocampal damage in adult humans impairs episodic and semantic memory, whereas hippocampal damage early in life impairs episodic memory but leaves semantic learning relatively preserved. We have previously shown a similar behavioral dissociation in nonhuman primates. Hippocampal lesion in adult monkeys prevents allocentric spatial relational learning, whereas spatial learning persists following neonatal lesion. Here, we quantified the number of cells expressing the immediate-early gene c-fos, a marker of neuronal activity, to characterize the functional organization of the medial temporal lobe memory system following neonatal hippocampal lesion. Ninety minutes before brain collection, three control and four adult monkeys with bilateral neonatal hippocampal lesions explored a novel environment to activate brain structures involved in spatial learning. Three other adult monkeys with neonatal hippocampal lesions remained in their housing quarters. In unlesioned monkeys, we found high levels of c-fos expression in the intermediate and caudal regions of the entorhinal cortex, and in the perirhinal, parahippocampal, and retrosplenial cortices. In lesioned monkeys, spatial exploration induced an increase in c-fos expression in the intermediate field of the entorhinal cortex, the perirhinal, parahippocampal, and retrosplenial cortices, but not in the caudal entorhinal cortex. These findings suggest that different regions of the medial temporal lobe memory system may require different types of interaction with the hippocampus in support of memory. The caudal perirhinal cortex, the parahippocampal cortex, and the retrosplenial cortex may contribute to spatial learning in the absence of functional hippocampal circuits, whereas the caudal entorhinal cortex may require hippocampal output to support spatial learning.
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25
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Moadab G, Bliss-Moreau E, Bauman MD, Amaral DG. Early amygdala or hippocampus damage influences adolescent female social behavior during group formation. Behav Neurosci 2017; 131:68-82. [PMID: 28054806 PMCID: PMC5269439 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
This study continues a longitudinal analysis of rhesus macaque social behavior following bilateral neonatal ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala or hippocampus, or sham operations. The social behavior of female subjects was evaluated at a critical developmental time point-the transition to adulthood. At approximately 4 years of age, female subjects were housed in small groups with other female subjects and reproductively viable adult males. As compared with neurologically intact control animals and animals with early amygdala damage, animals with early hippocampal damage were more social with their female peers. In contrast, as compared with control animals, animals with early amygdala damage spent less time with the males, engaged less frequently in behaviors typical of reproductive consortships, had higher frequencies of self-directed stereotypies, and became pregnant later. Males also generated fewer communicative signals toward animals with early amygdala damage than to control animals and animals with early hippocampus damage. Rates of sexual behavior were generally low for all animals, and there were no lesion-based differences in their frequencies. Discriminant function analyses demonstrated that patterns of affiliative social behaviors differed across the 3 experimental groups, both in terms of the social behaviors directed to the males, and the social behaviors generated by the males toward the females. In 4 of the 5 social groups, amygdala-lesioned animals were lowest ranked, potentially contributing to reduced sociability interactions with males. Other potential mechanisms and the experiments needed to elucidate them are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record
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26
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Bliss-Moreau E, Moadab G, Santistevan A, Amaral DG. The effects of neonatal amygdala or hippocampus lesions on adult social behavior. Behav Brain Res 2016; 322:123-137. [PMID: 28017854 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.11.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2016] [Revised: 11/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present report details the final phase of a longitudinal evaluation of the social behavior in a cohort of adult rhesus monkeys that received bilateral neurotoxic lesions of the amygdala or hippocampus, or sham operations at 2 weeks of age. Results were compared to previous studies in which adult animals received amygdala lesions and were tested in a similar fashion. Social testing with four novel interaction partners occurred when the animals were between 7 and 8 years of age. Experimental animals interacted with two male and two female partners in two conditions - one in which physical access was restricted (the constrained social access condition) and a second in which physical access was unrestricted (the unconstrained social access condition). Across conditions and interaction partners, there were no significant effects of lesion condition on the frequency or duration of social interactions. As a group, the hippocampus-lesioned animals generated the greatest number of communicative signals during the constrained social access condition. Amygdala-lesioned animals generated more frequent stress-related behaviors and were less exploratory. Amygdala and hippocampus-lesioned animals demonstrated greater numbers of stereotypies than control animals. Subtle, lesion-based differences in the sequencing of behaviors were observed. These findings suggest that alterations of adult social behavior are much less prominent when damage to the amygdala occurs early in life rather than in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States.
| | - Gilda Moadab
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - Anthony Santistevan
- Department of Psychology and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The MIND Institute, The Center for Neuroscience and the California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, United States
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Chareyron LJ, Amaral DG, Lavenex P. Selective lesion of the hippocampus increases the differentiation of immature neurons in the monkey amygdala. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:14420-14425. [PMID: 27911768 PMCID: PMC5167145 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1604288113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
A large population of immature neurons is present in the ventromedial portion of the adult primate amygdala, a region that receives substantial direct projections from the hippocampal formation. Here, we show the effects of neonatal (n = 8) and adult (n = 6) hippocampal lesions on the populations of mature and immature neurons in the paralaminar, lateral, and basal nuclei of the adult monkey amygdala. Compared with unoperated controls (n = 7), the number of mature neurons was about 70% higher in the paralaminar nucleus of neonate- and adult-lesioned monkeys, and 40% higher in the lateral and basal nuclei of neonate-lesioned monkeys. The number of immature neurons in the paralaminar nucleus was 40% higher in neonate-lesioned monkeys and 30% lower in adult-lesioned monkeys. Similar changes in neuron numbers were also found in two monkeys with nonexperimental, selective, bilateral hippocampal damage. These changes in neuron numbers following hippocampal lesions appear to reflect the differentiation of immature neurons present in the paralaminar nucleus. After adult lesions, the differentiation of immature neurons was essentially restricted to the paralaminar nucleus and was associated with a decrease in the population of immature neurons. In contrast, after neonatal lesions, the differentiation of immature neurons involved the paralaminar, lateral, and basal nuclei. It was associated with an increase in the population of immature neurons in the paralaminar nucleus. Such lesion-induced neuronal plasticity sheds new light on potential mechanisms that may facilitate functional recovery following focal brain injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc J Chareyron
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - David G Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MIND Institute, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Pierre Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, 1700 Fribourg, Switzerland;
- Laboratory for Experimental Research on Behavior, Institute of Psychology, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
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Moadab G, Bliss-Moreau E, Amaral DG. Adult social behavior with familiar partners following neonatal amygdala or hippocampus damage. Behav Neurosci 2016; 129:339-50. [PMID: 26030432 DOI: 10.1037/bne0000062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The social behavior in a cohort of adult animals who received ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala (4 female, 3 male) or hippocampus (5 female, 3 male) as neonates, and sham-operated controls (4 female, 4 male) was evaluated in their home environments with the familiar opposite sex monkey (pair-mate) with whom they were housed. Amygdala-lesioned animals spent less time with their familiar partners and engaged in higher frequencies of stress-related behaviors than control animals. Hippocampus-lesioned animals spent significantly more time socially engaging their pair-mates than both control and amygdala-lesioned animals. These results suggest that early damage to the amygdala or hippocampus subtly alter patterns of adult social behavior in a familiar context and stand in sharp contrast to extant studies of early damage to the amygdala or hippocampus and to the more dramatically altered patterns of behavior observed after damage to the adult amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilda Moadab
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California Davis
| | - David G Amaral
- The MIND Institute, Center for Neuroscience, California National Primate Research Center
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Multiple sevoflurane exposures in infant monkeys do not impact the mother-infant bond. Neurotoxicol Teratol 2016; 54:46-51. [PMID: 26878984 DOI: 10.1016/j.ntt.2016.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to general anesthesia during the postnatal period is associated with death of brain cells as well as long-term impairments in cognitive and emotional behavior in animal models. These models are critical for investigating mechanisms of pediatric anesthetic neurotoxicity as well as for testing potential strategies for preventing or mitigating this toxicity. Control conditions for anesthesia exposure involve separation of conscious infants from their mothers for variable periods of time, which could have its own effect on subsequent behavior because of stress to the mother and/or infant as a consequence of separation.We are conducting a long-term study of infant rhesus monkeys exposed three times for 4h each to sevoflurane anesthesia during the first six postnatal weeks, with a comparison condition of control infant monkeys that undergo brief maternal separations on the same schedule, to equate the period of time each infant is conscious and separated from its mother. Because mothers are separated from their infants longer for infants in the anesthesia condition, this could modify maternal behavior toward the infant, which may influence subsequent socioemotional behavior in the infants. In this study, we analyzed maternal behavior immediately after the first post-anesthesia (or control) reunion, as well as during reintroduction of the mother-infant pair to the larger social group 24 hpost-anesthesia or control separation, and found no differences between the conditions with mothers spending most of their time in contact with infants in all conditions analyzed. This indicates that the different durations of maternal separation in this study design do not impact the mother-infant bond, strengthening conclusions that subsequent differences in behavior between monkeys exposed to anesthesia compared to controls are a consequence of anesthesia exposure and not differential maternal behavior in the two conditions.
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Feczko EJ, Bliss-Moreau E, Walum H, Pruett JR, Parr LA. The Macaque Social Responsiveness Scale (mSRS): A Rapid Screening Tool for Assessing Variability in the Social Responsiveness of Rhesus Monkeys (Macaca mulatta). PLoS One 2016; 11:e0145956. [PMID: 26731103 PMCID: PMC4701177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 12/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the biological mechanisms underlying human neuropsychiatric disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), has been hindered by the lack of a robust, translational animal model. Rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) display many of the same social behaviors that are affected in ASD, making them an excellent animal species in which to model social impairments. However, the social impairments associated with ASD may reflect extreme ends of a continuous distribution of traits. Thus, to validate the rhesus monkey as an animal model for studying social impairments that has strong translational relevance for ASD, researchers need an easily-implemented measurement tool that can quantify variation in social behavior dimensionally. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) is a 65-item survey that identifies both typical and atypical social behaviors in humans that covary with ASD symptom severity. A chimpanzee SRS has already been validated and the current study adapted this tool for use in the rhesus monkey (mSRS). Fifteen raters completed the mSRS for 105 rhesus monkeys living at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. The mSRS scores showed a unimodal distribution with a positive skew that identified 6 statistical outliers. Inter-rater reliability was very strong, but only 17 of the 36 questions showed positive intra-item reliability. The results of an exploratory factor analysis identified 3 factors that explained over 60% of the variance, with 12 items significantly loading onto the primary factor. These items reflected behaviors associated with social avoidance, social anxiety or inflexibility and social confidence. These initial findings are encouraging and suggest that variability in the social responsiveness of rhesus monkeys can be quantified using the mSRS: a tool that has strong translational relevance for human disorders. With further modification, the mSRS may provide an promising new direction for research on the biological mechanisms underlying social impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Feczko
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis CA 95616, United States of America
| | - Hasse Walum
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
| | - John R. Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University, School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, United States of America
| | - Lisa A. Parr
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Haller SPW, Cohen Kadosh K, Scerif G, Lau JYF. Social anxiety disorder in adolescence: How developmental cognitive neuroscience findings may shape understanding and interventions for psychopathology. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2015; 13:11-20. [PMID: 25818181 PMCID: PMC6989773 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2013] [Revised: 02/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder represents a debilitating condition that has large adverse effects on the quality of social connections, educational achievement and wellbeing. Age-of-onset data suggests that early adolescence is a developmentally sensitive juncture for the onset of social anxiety. In this review, we highlight the potential of using a developmental cognitive neuroscience approach to understand (i) why there are normative increases in social worries in adolescence and (ii) how adolescence-associated changes may 'bring out' neuro-cognitive risk factors for social anxiety in a subset of individuals during this developmental period. We also speculate on how changes that occur in learning and plasticity may allow for optimal acquisition of more adaptive neurocognitive strategies through external interventions. Hence, for the minority of individuals who require external interventions to target their social fears, this enhanced flexibility could result in more powerful and longer-lasting therapeutic effects. We will review two novel interventions that target information-processing biases and their neural substrates via cognitive training and visual feedback of neural activity measured through functional magnetic resonance imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone P W Haller
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | | | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jennifer Y F Lau
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
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Stephens SBZ, Raper J, Bachevalier J, Wallen K. Neonatal amygdala lesions advance pubertal timing in female rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2015; 51:307-17. [PMID: 25462903 PMCID: PMC4268413 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2014.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 09/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Social context influences the timing of puberty in both humans and nonhuman primates, such as delayed first ovulation in low-ranking rhesus macaques, but the brain region(s) mediating the effects of social context on pubertal timing are unknown. The amygdala is important for responding to social information and thus, is a potential brain region mediating the effects of social context on pubertal timing. In this study, female rhesus macaques living in large, species-typical, social groups received bilateral neurotoxic amygdala lesions at one month of age and pubertal timing was examined beginning at 14 months of age. Pubertal timing was affected in neonatal amygdala-lesioned females (Neo-A), such that they experienced significantly earlier menarche and first ovulation than did control females (Neo-C). Duration between menarche and first ovulation did not differ between Neo-A and Neo-C females, indicating earlier first ovulation in Neo-A females was likely a consequence of earlier menarche. Social rank of Neo-A females was related to age at menarche, but not first ovulation, and social rank was not related to either event in Neo-C females. It is more likely that amygdalectomy affects pubertal timing through its modulation of GABA-ergic mechanisms rather than as a result of the removal of a social-contextual inhibition on pubertal timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon B Z Stephens
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.
| | - Jessica Raper
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.
| | - Kim Wallen
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA 30322, United States; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA 30329, United States.
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Vela RM. The effect of severe stress on early brain development, attachment, and emotions: a psychoanatomical formulation. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2014; 37:519-34. [PMID: 25455063 DOI: 10.1016/j.psc.2014.08.005] [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] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Child abuse is the most extreme form of stress in childhood and adolescence, and has severe effects on the child's development. Limbic nuclei and circuitry development are especially vulnerable to child abuse and neglect during the first year of life. Development at the neuronal level can be severely disturbed by trauma during early infancy, resulting in maladaptive synaptic formation, impeding experience-expectant brain development. Development of basic emotions may favor the development of negative instead of positive emotions. The new concept of psychoanatomical formulation is introduced. A case vignette is presented and analyzed, based on the disturbed neuroanatomy underlying symptom expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ricardo M Vela
- Child and Family Services, North Suffolk Mental Health Association, Massachusetts General Hospital, 301 Broadway, Chelsea, MA 02150, USA.
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34
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Goursaud APS, Wallen K, Bachevalier J. Mother recognition and preference after neonatal amygdala lesions in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) raised in a semi-naturalistic environment. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1723-34. [PMID: 25042548 PMCID: PMC4419750 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2013] [Accepted: 05/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Attachment to the caregiver, typically the biological mother, is crucial to young mammals' socio-emotional development. Although studies in nonprimate species suggest that the amygdala regulates social preference and attachment development, its role in primate filial attachment development has been little investigated and has produced mixed results. This study assessed the effects of neonatal amygdala- (Neo-A, N = 16) and sham- (Neo-C, N = 12) lesions on mother recognition and discrimination in macaques raised in species-typical social groups. Neonatal amygdalectomy did not affect social discriminative abilities and mother preference at 3 and 6 months of age, strongly suggesting that the amygdala is not involved in the cognitive processes underlying the development of filial attachment at least when the amygdala damage occurred after the third to fourth weeks of age. Nevertheless, as compared to sham-operated controls, amygdalectomized infants initiated physical contact with their mothers less frequently. The findings are discussed in relation to the known contribution of the amygdala to filial attachment in both rodents and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Pierre S Goursaud
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA, 30329; Psychology Department, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, 30303; Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Atlanta, GA, 30303.
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Raper J, Stephens SBZ, Sanchez M, Bachevalier J, Wallen K. Neonatal amygdala lesions alter mother-infant interactions in rhesus monkeys living in a species-typical social environment. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1711-22. [PMID: 24986273 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2013] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined the effects of neonatal amygdala lesions on mother-infant interactions in rhesus monkeys reared in large species-typical social groups. Focal observations of mother-infant interactions were collected in their social group for the first 12 months postpartum on infants that had received amygdala lesions (Neo-A) at 24-25 days of age and control infants. Early amygdala lesions resulted in subtle behavioral alterations. Neo-A females exhibited earlier emergence of independence from the mother than did control females, spending more time away from their mother, whereas Neo-A males did not. Also, a set of behaviors, including coo vocalizations, time in contact, and time away from the mother, accurately discriminated Neo-A females from control females, but not Neo-A and control males. Data suggest that neonatal amygdalectomy either reduced fear, therefore increasing exploration in females, or reduced the positive reward value of maternal contact. Unlike females, neonatal amygdala lesions had little measurable effects on male mother-infant interactions. The source of this sex difference is unknown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Raper
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, 36 Eagle Row, Atlanta, GA, 30322; Yerkes National Primate Research Center, 954 Gatewood Rd NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329
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Hunsaker MR, Scott JA, Bauman MD, Schumann CM, Amaral DG. Postnatal development of the hippocampus in the Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta): a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study. Hippocampus 2014; 24:794-807. [PMID: 24648155 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/12/2014] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Nonhuman primates are widely used models to investigate the neural substrates of human behavior, including the development of higher cognitive and affective function. Due to their neuroanatomical and behavioral homologies with humans, the rhesus macaque monkey (Macaca mulatta) provides an excellent animal model in which to characterize the maturation of brain structures from birth through adulthood and into senescence. To evaluate hippocampal development in rhesus macaques, structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were obtained longitudinally at 9 time points between 1 week and 260 weeks (5 years) of age on 24 rhesus macaque monkeys (12 males, 12 females). In our sample, the hippocampus reaches 50% of its adult volume by 13 weeks of age and reaches an adult volume by 52 weeks in both males and females. The hippocampus appears to be slightly larger at 3 years than at 5 years of age. Male rhesus macaques have larger hippocampi than females from 8 weeks onward by approximately 5%. Interestingly, there was increased variability in hemispheric asymmetry for hippocampus volumes at younger ages than at later ages. These data provide a comprehensive evaluation of the longitudinal development of male and female rhesus macaque hippocampus across development from 1 week to 5 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Hunsaker
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California; The MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, California
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Bauman MD, Iosif AM, Smith SE, Bregere C, Amaral DG, Patterson PH. Activation of the maternal immune system during pregnancy alters behavioral development of rhesus monkey offspring. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 75:332-41. [PMID: 24011823 PMCID: PMC6782053 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Revised: 06/22/2013] [Accepted: 06/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal infection during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of schizophrenia and autism in the offspring. Supporting this correlation, experimentally activating the maternal immune system during pregnancy in rodents produces offspring with abnormal brain and behavioral development. We have developed a nonhuman primate model to bridge the gap between clinical populations and rodent models of maternal immune activation (MIA). METHODS A modified form of the viral mimic, synthetic double-stranded RNA (polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid stabilized with poly-L-lysine) was delivered to two separate groups of pregnant rhesus monkeys to induce MIA: 1) late first trimester MIA (n = 6), and 2) late second trimester MIA (n = 7). Control animals (n = 11) received saline injections at the same first or second trimester time points or were untreated. Sickness behavior, temperature, and cytokine profiles of the pregnant monkeys confirmed a strong inflammatory response to MIA. RESULTS Behavioral development of the offspring was studied for 24 months. Following weaning at 6 months of age, MIA offspring exhibited abnormal responses to separation from their mothers. As the animals matured, MIA offspring displayed increased repetitive behaviors and decreased affiliative vocalizations. When evaluated with unfamiliar conspecifics, first trimester MIA offspring deviated from species-typical macaque social behavior by inappropriately approaching and remaining in immediate proximity of an unfamiliar animal. CONCLUSIONS In this rhesus monkey model, MIA yields offspring with abnormal repetitive behaviors, communication, and social interactions. These results extended the findings in rodent MIA models to more human-like behaviors resembling those in both autism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa D. Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of Biostatistics, University of California, Davis, Davis
| | | | | | - David G. Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis; The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis, Sacramento; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, Davis, California
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Hinterlassen seelische Schädigungen in der Kindheit neurobiologische Spuren im erwachsenen Gehirn? Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2013. [DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2013.62.10.778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Olsavsky AK, Telzer EH, Shapiro M, Humphreys KL, Flannery J, Goff B, Tottenham N. Indiscriminate amygdala response to mothers and strangers after early maternal deprivation. Biol Psychiatry 2013; 74:853-60. [PMID: 23810622 PMCID: PMC3818506 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2012] [Revised: 05/23/2013] [Accepted: 05/23/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In altricial species, maternal stimuli have powerful effects on amygdala development and attachment-related behaviors. In humans, maternal deprivation has been associated with both "indiscriminate friendliness" toward non-caregiving adults and altered amygdala development. We hypothesized that maternal deprivation would be associated with reduced amygdala discrimination between mothers and strangers and increased parent report of indiscriminate friendliness behaviors. METHODS Sixty-seven youths (33 previously institutionalized; 34 comparison; age-at-scan 4-17 years) participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging experiment designed to examine amygdala response to mother versus stranger faces. In-scanner behavior was measured. Indiscriminate friendliness was assessed with parental report. RESULTS Comparison youth showed an amygdala response that clearly discriminated mother versus stranger stimuli. Previously institutionalized youths, by contrast, exhibited reduced amygdala discrimination between mothers and strangers. Reduced amygdala differentiation correlated with greater reports of indiscriminate friendliness. These effects correlated with age-at-adoption, with later adoptions being associated with reduced amygdala discrimination and more indiscriminate friendliness. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that early maternal deprivation is associated with reduced amygdala discrimination between mothers and strangers, and reduced amygdala discrimination was associated with greater reports of indiscriminate friendliness. Moreover, these effects increased with age-at-adoption. These data suggest that the amygdala, in part, is associated with indiscriminate friendliness and that there might be a dose-response relationship between institutional rearing and indiscriminate friendliness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aviva K. Olsavsky
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA,Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA
| | - Eva H. Telzer
- University of California Los Angeles Department of Psychology
| | - Mor Shapiro
- University of California Los Angeles Department of Psychology
| | | | | | - Bonnie Goff
- University of California Los Angeles Department of Psychology
| | - Nim Tottenham
- University of California Los Angeles Department of Psychology
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40
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Bliss-Moreau E, Theil JH, Moadab G. Efficient cooperative restraint training with rhesus macaques. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2013; 16:98-117. [PMID: 23544752 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.768897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
It is sometimes necessary for nonhuman primates to be restrained during biomedical and psychosocial research. Such restraint is often accomplished using a "primate chair." This article details a method for training adult rhesus macaques to cooperate with a chair restraint procedure using positive and negative reinforcement. Successful training was accomplished rapidly in approximately 14 training days. The success of this training technique suggests that this method represents a refinement to traditional techniques. Further, this method worked effectively for animals previously deemed unfit for traditional pole-and-collar training.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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41
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Bliss-Moreau E, Moadab G, Bauman MD, Amaral DG. The impact of early amygdala damage on juvenile rhesus macaque social behavior. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 25:2124-40. [PMID: 24047387 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The present experiments continue a longitudinal study of rhesus macaque social behavior following bilateral neonatal ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala or hippocampus, or sham operations. Juvenile animals (approximately 1.5-2.5 years) were tested in four different social contexts--alone, while interacting with one familiar peer, while interacting with one unfamiliar peer, and in their permanent social groups. During infancy, the amygdala-lesioned animals displayed more interest in conspecifics (indexed by increased affiliative signaling) and paradoxically demonstrated more submission or fear (Bauman, Lavenex, Mason, Capitanio, & Amaral, 2004a, this journal). When these animals were assessed as juveniles, differences were less striking. Amygdala-lesioned animals generated fewer aggressive and affiliative signals (e.g., vocalizations, facial displays) and spent less time in social interactions with familiar peers. When animals were observed alone or with an unfamiliar peer, amygdala-lesioned animals, compared with other subjects, spent more time being inactive and physically explored the environment less. Despite the subtle, lesion-based differences in the frequency and duration of specific social behaviors, there were lesion-based differences in the organization of behavior such that lesion groups could be identified based on the patterning of social behaviors in a discriminant function analysis. The findings indicate that, although overall frequencies of many of the observed behaviors do not differ between groups, the general patterning of social behavior may distinguish the amygdala-lesioned animals.
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Bauman MD, Iosif AM, Ashwood P, Braunschweig D, Lee A, Schumann CM, Van de Water J, Amaral DG. Maternal antibodies from mothers of children with autism alter brain growth and social behavior development in the rhesus monkey. Transl Psychiatry 2013; 3:e278. [PMID: 23838889 PMCID: PMC3731783 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2013.47] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Antibodies directed against fetal brain proteins of 37 and 73 kDa molecular weight are found in approximately 12% of mothers who have children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but not in mothers of typically developing children. This finding has raised the possibility that these immunoglobulin G (IgG) class antibodies cross the placenta during pregnancy and impact brain development, leading to one form of ASD. We evaluated the pathogenic potential of these antibodies by using a nonhuman primate model. IgG was isolated from mothers of children with ASD (IgG-ASD) and of typically developing children (IgG-CON). The purified IgG was administered to two groups of female rhesus monkeys (IgG-ASD; n=8 and IgG-CON; n=8) during the first and second trimesters of pregnancy. Another control group of pregnant monkeys (n=8) was untreated. Brain and behavioral development of the offspring were assessed for 2 years. Behavioral differences were first detected when the macaque mothers responded to their IgG-ASD offspring with heightened protectiveness during early development. As they matured, IgG-ASD offspring consistently deviated from species-typical social norms by more frequently approaching familiar peers. The increased approach was not reciprocated and did not lead to sustained social interactions. Even more striking, IgG-ASD offspring displayed inappropriate approach behavior to unfamiliar peers, clearly deviating from normal macaque social behavior. Longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging analyses revealed that male IgG-ASD offspring had enlarged brain volume compared with controls. White matter volume increases appeared to be driving the brain differences in the IgG-ASD offspring and these differences were most pronounced in the frontal lobes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
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Raper J, Wilson M, Sanchez M, Machado CJ, Bachevalier J. Pervasive alterations of emotional and neuroendocrine responses to an acute stressor after neonatal amygdala lesions in rhesus monkeys. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2013; 38:1021-35. [PMID: 23148887 PMCID: PMC3593974 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2012] [Revised: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 10/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The current study examined the long-term effects of neonatal amygdala lesions on emotional and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to an acute stressor in rhesus monkeys. Rhesus monkeys received either bilateral MRI-guided ibotenic acid amygdala (Neo-Aibo; n=6) or sham (Neo-C; n=7) lesions between 7 and 14 days of age. Emotional reactivity was assessed using the Human Intruder paradigm at 2 months, 4.5 months, and 6-8 years of age, whereas stress neuroendocrine response was only assessed in adulthood (6-8 years). The modulation of defensive and emotional behaviors based on the gaze direction of the intruder emerged between 2 and 4 months of age in surrogate-peer reared sham-operated infant monkeys, as already shown for mother-reared infants. Although neonatal amygdala lesions did not impair the ability to exhibit defensive and emotional behaviors, it altered the modulation of these responses based on the intruder's gaze direction. The changes in emotional reactivity after neonatal amygdala lesions emerged in infancy and persisted throughout adulthood when they were associated with a reduction of basal cortisol levels and a blunted cortisol response to the stressor. These changes are reminiscent of those found after adult-onset amygdala lesions, demonstrating little functional compensation following early amygdala damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Raper
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
| | - Mark Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329
| | - Christopher J. Machado
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30329
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Sullivan R, Perry R, Sloan A, Kleinhaus K, Burtchen N. Infant bonding and attachment to the caregiver: insights from basic and clinical science. Clin Perinatol 2011; 38:643-55. [PMID: 22107895 PMCID: PMC3223373 DOI: 10.1016/j.clp.2011.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Early life infant-caregiver attachment is a dynamic, bidirectional process that involving both the infant and caregiver. Infant attachment appears to have a dual function. First, it ensures the infant remains close to the caregiver in order to receive necessary care for survival. Second, the quality of attachment and its associated sensory stimuli organize the brain to define the infant's cognitive and emotional development. Here we present attachment within an historical view and highlight the importance of integrating human and animal research in understanding infant care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regina Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute and The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine, New York
- Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York
| | - Rosemarie Perry
- Emotional Brain Institute and The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine, New York
- Sackler Graduate Program, New York University School of Medicine, New York
| | - Aliza Sloan
- Emotional Brain Institute and The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research Child and Adolescent Psychiatry New York University School of Medicine, New York
| | - Karine Kleinhaus
- Departments of Psychiatry and Environmental Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York
| | - Nina Burtchen
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Columbia University New York, New York
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45
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Bliss-Moreau E, Bauman MD, Amaral DG. Neonatal amygdala lesions result in globally blunted affect in adult rhesus macaques. Behav Neurosci 2011; 125:848-58. [PMID: 21988521 PMCID: PMC3313682 DOI: 10.1037/a0025757] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala has been implicated in affective and social processing for more than a century. Animals with damage to the amygdala have altered affective and social behavior patterns, though the precise nature of these behavioral changes depends on a number of factors including lesion technique, age of the subject at the time of lesion, rearing, and housing environments. Interpretations of amygdala lesion studies are further complicated by the potentially confounded nature of affective and social stimuli (e.g., social interactions with a conspecific partner that is consistently aggressive). In the present study, we evaluated affective responding to affectively and socially evocative video stimuli in a group of rhesus macaques that received bilateral amygdala lesions as neonates. The stimuli were produced to vary independently in terms of their affective and social content. The responses of the amygdala-lesioned animals were compared with a group of age-matched controls and a group of animals that had sustained bilateral hippocampus damage as neonates. As compared with control animals, amygdala-lesioned animals had blunted responding to both positive and negative stimuli, regardless of social content, but did differentiate between levels of social content. Taken together, these findings suggest that early amygdala damage permanently compromises affective processing while leaving intact the ability to distinguish between socially meaningful contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis
| | - Melissa D. Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis
- The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis
| | - David G. Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis
- The M.I.N.D. Institute, University of California, Davis
- Center for Neuroscience University of California, Davis
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46
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Chareyron LJ, Lavenex PB, Amaral DG, Lavenex P. Stereological analysis of the rat and monkey amygdala. J Comp Neurol 2011; 519:3218-39. [PMID: 21618234 PMCID: PMC4342351 DOI: 10.1002/cne.22677] [Citation(s) in RCA: 93] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is part of a neural network that contributes to the regulation of emotional behaviors. Rodents, especially rats, are used extensively as model organisms to decipher the functions of specific amygdala nuclei, in particular in relation to fear and emotional learning. Analysis of the role of the nonhuman primate amygdala in these functions has lagged work in the rodent but provides evidence for conservation of basic functions across species. Here we provide quantitative information regarding the morphological characteristics of the main amygdala nuclei in rats and monkeys, including neuron and glial cell numbers, neuronal soma size, and individual nuclei volumes. The volumes of the lateral, basal, and accessory basal nuclei were, respectively, 32, 39, and 39 times larger in monkeys than in rats. In contrast, the central and medial nuclei were only 8 and 4 times larger in monkeys than in rats. The numbers of neurons in the lateral, basal, and accessory basal nuclei were 14, 11, and 16 times greater in monkeys than in rats, whereas the numbers of neurons in the central and medial nuclei were only 2.3 and 1.5 times greater in monkeys than in rats. Neuron density was between 2.4 and 3.7 times lower in monkeys than in rats, whereas glial density was only between 1.1 and 1.7 times lower in monkeys than in rats. We compare our data in rats and monkeys with those previously published in humans and discuss the theoretical and functional implications that derive from our quantitative structural findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc J. Chareyron
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Pamela Banta Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - David G. Amaral
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Center for Neuroscience, California National Primate Research Center and the M.I.N.D. Institute, UC Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Pierre Lavenex
- Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Medicine, University of Fribourg, Switzerland
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47
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Kuroda KO, Tachikawa K, Yoshida S, Tsuneoka Y, Numan M. Neuromolecular basis of parental behavior in laboratory mice and rats: with special emphasis on technical issues of using mouse genetics. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2011; 35:1205-31. [PMID: 21338647 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2011.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2010] [Revised: 02/14/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
To support the well-being of the parent-infant relationship, the neuromolecular mechanisms of parental behaviors should be clarified. From neuroanatomical analyses in laboratory rats, the medial preoptic area (MPOA) has been shown to be of critical importance in parental retrieving behavior. More recently, various gene-targeted mouse strains have been found to be defective in different aspects of parental behaviors, contributing to the identification of molecules and signaling pathways required for the behavior. Therefore, the neuromolecular basis of "mother love" is now a fully approachable research field in modern molecular neuroscience. In this review, we will provide a summary of the required brain areas and gene for parental behavior in laboratory mice (Mus musculus) and rats (Rattus norvegicus). Basic protocols and technical considerations on studying the mechanism of parental behavior using genetically-engineered mouse strains will also be presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kumi O Kuroda
- Unit for Affiliative Social Behavior, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
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Bliss-Moreau E, Toscano JE, Bauman MD, Mason WA, Amaral DG. Neonatal amygdala lesions alter responsiveness to objects in juvenile macaques. Neuroscience 2011; 178:123-32. [PMID: 21215794 PMCID: PMC3962772 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2010.12.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Revised: 12/16/2010] [Accepted: 12/21/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is widely recognized to play a central role in emotional processing. In nonhuman primates, the amygdala appears to be critical for generating appropriate behavioral responses in emotionally salient contexts. One common finding is that macaque monkeys that receive amygdala lesions as adults are behaviorally uninhibited in the presence of potentially dangerous objects. While control animals avoid these objects, amygdala-lesioned animals readily interact with them. Despite a large literature documenting the role of the amygdala in emotional processing in adult rhesus macaques, little research has assessed the role of the amygdala across the macaque neurodevelopmental trajectory. We assessed the behavioral responses of 3-year-old (juvenile) rhesus macaques that received bilateral ibotenic acid lesions of the amygdala or hippocampus at 2 weeks of age. Animals were presented with salient objects known to produce robust fear-related responses in macaques (e.g., snakes and reptile-like objects), mammal-like objects that included animal-like features (e.g., eyes and mouths) but not reptile-like features (e.g., scales), and non-animal objects. The visual complexity of objects was scaled to vary the objects' salience. In contrast to control and hippocampus-lesioned animals, amygdala-lesioned animals were uninhibited in the presence of potentially dangerous objects. They readily retrieved food rewards placed near these objects and physically explored the objects. Furthermore, while control and hippocampus-lesioned animals differentiated between levels of object complexity, amygdala-lesioned animals did not. Taken together, these findings suggest that early damage to the amygdala, like damage sustained during adulthood, permanently compromises emotional processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
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Abstract
The insula has been implicated as a component of central networks subserving evaluative and affective processes. This study examined evaluative valence and arousal ratings in response to picture stimuli in patients with lesions of the insula and two contrast groups: a control-lesion group (the primary contrast group) and an amygdala-lesion group. Patients rated the positivity and negativity of picture stimuli (from very unpleasant to very pleasant) and how emotionally arousing they found the pictures to be. Compared with patients in the control-lesion group, patients with insular lesions reported reduced arousal in response to both unpleasant and pleasant stimuli, as well as marked attenuation of valence ratings. In contrast, the arousal ratings of patients with amygdala lesions were selectively attenuated for unpleasant stimuli, and these patients' positive and negative valence ratings did not differ from those of the control-lesion group. Results support the view that the insular cortex may play a broad role in integrating affective and cognitive processes, whereas the amygdala may have a more selective role in affective arousal, especially for negative stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary G. Berntson
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Greg J. Norman
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210
| | - Antoine Bechara
- Department of Psychology and the Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089, and the Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242
| | - Daniel Tranel
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242
- Department of Psychology, University of Iowa
| | - Joel Bruss
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, 52242
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Schumann CM, Bauman MD, Amaral DG. Abnormal structure or function of the amygdala is a common component of neurodevelopmental disorders. Neuropsychologia 2010; 49:745-59. [PMID: 20950634 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2010] [Revised: 08/25/2010] [Accepted: 09/22/2010] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala, perhaps more than any other brain region, has been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. It is part of a system initially evolved to detect dangers in the environment and modulate subsequent responses, which can profoundly influence human behavior. If its threshold is set too low, normally benign aspects of the environment are perceived as dangers, interactions are limited, and anxiety may arise. If set too high, risk taking increases and inappropriate sociality may occur. Given that many neurodevelopmental disorders involve too little or too much anxiety or too little of too much social interaction, it is not surprising that the amygdala has been implicated in many of them. In this chapter, we begin by providing a brief overview of the phylogeny, ontogeny, and function of the amygdala and then appraise data from neurodevelopmental disorders which suggest amygdala dysregulation. We focus on neurodevelopmental disorders where there is evidence of amygdala dysregulation from postmortem studies, structural MRI analyses or functional MRI. However, the results are often disparate and it is not totally clear whether this is due to inherent heterogeneity or differences in methodology. Nonetheless, the amygdala is a common site for neuropathology in neurodevelopmental disorders and is therefore a potential target for therapeutics to alleviate associated symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia M Schumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95618, USA.
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