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Negrón-Oyarzo I, Dib T, Chacana-Véliz L, López-Quilodrán N, Urrutia-Piñones J. Large-scale coupling of prefrontal activity patterns as a mechanism for cognitive control in health and disease: evidence from rodent models. Front Neural Circuits 2024; 18:1286111. [PMID: 38638163 PMCID: PMC11024307 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2024.1286111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control of behavior is crucial for well-being, as allows subject to adapt to changing environments in a goal-directed way. Changes in cognitive control of behavior is observed during cognitive decline in elderly and in pathological mental conditions. Therefore, the recovery of cognitive control may provide a reliable preventive and therapeutic strategy. However, its neural basis is not completely understood. Cognitive control is supported by the prefrontal cortex, structure that integrates relevant information for the appropriate organization of behavior. At neurophysiological level, it is suggested that cognitive control is supported by local and large-scale synchronization of oscillatory activity patterns and neural spiking activity between the prefrontal cortex and distributed neural networks. In this review, we focus mainly on rodent models approaching the neuronal origin of these prefrontal patterns, and the cognitive and behavioral relevance of its coordination with distributed brain systems. We also examine the relationship between cognitive control and neural activity patterns in the prefrontal cortex, and its role in normal cognitive decline and pathological mental conditions. Finally, based on these body of evidence, we propose a common mechanism that may underlie the impaired cognitive control of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ignacio Negrón-Oyarzo
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Tatiana Dib
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Lorena Chacana-Véliz
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Nélida López-Quilodrán
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | - Jocelyn Urrutia-Piñones
- Instituto de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias Mención en Neurociencia, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
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Nist AN, Walsh SJ, Shahan TA. Ketamine produces no detectable long-term positive or negative effects on cognitive flexibility or reinforcement learning of male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2024; 241:849-863. [PMID: 38062167 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06514-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/25/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) often experience abnormalities in behavioral adaptation following environmental changes (i.e., cognitive flexibility) and tend to undervalue positive outcomes but overvalue negative outcomes. The probabilistic reversal learning task (PRL) is used to study these deficits across species and to explore drugs that may have therapeutic value. Selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) have limited effectiveness in treating MDD and produce inconsistent effects in non-human versions of the PRL. As such, ketamine, a novel and potentially rapid-acting therapeutic, has begun to be examined using the PRL. Two previous studies examining the effects of ketamine in the PRL have shown conflicting results and only examined short-term effects of ketamine. OBJECTIVE This experiment examined PRL performance across a 2-week period following a single exposure to a ketamine dose that varied across groups. METHODS After five sessions of PRL training, groups of rats received an injection of either 0, 10, 20 or 30 mg/kg ketamine. One-hour post-injection, rats engaged in the PRL, and subsequently sessions continued daily for 2 weeks. Traditional behavioral and computational reinforcement learning-derived measures were examined. RESULTS Results showed that ketamine had acute effects 1-h post-injection, including a significant decrease in the value of the punishment learning rate. Beyond 1 h, ketamine produced no detectable improvements nor decrements in performance across 2 weeks. CONCLUSION Overall, the present results suggest that the range of ketamine doses examined do not have long-term positive or negative effects on cognitive flexibility or reward processing in healthy rats as measured by the PRL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony N Nist
- Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, USA.
| | - Stephen J Walsh
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Utah State University, Logan, USA
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Licheri V, Chandrasekaran J, Kenton JA, Bird CW, Valenzuela CF, Brigman JL. Optogenetic stimulation of corticostriatal circuits improves behavioral flexibility in mice with prenatal alcohol exposure. Neuropharmacology 2024; 247:109860. [PMID: 38336243 PMCID: PMC10901293 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.109860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/28/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the most common preventable form of developmental and neurobehavioral disability. Animal models have demonstrated that even low to moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is sufficient to impair behavioral flexibility in multiple domains. Previously, utilizing a moderate limited access drinking in the dark paradigm, we have shown that PAE 1) impairs touchscreen pairwise visual reversal in male adult offspring 2) leads to small but significant decreases in orbitofrontal (OFC) firing rates 3) significantly increases dorsal striatum (dS) activity and 4) aberrantly sustains OFC-dS synchrony across early reversal. In the current study, we examined whether optogenetic stimulation of OFC-dS projection neurons would be sufficient to rescue the behavioral inflexibility induced by PAE in male C57BL/6J mice. Following discrimination learning, we targeted OFC-dS projections using a retrograde adeno-associated virus (AAV) delivered to the dS which expressed channel rhodopsin (ChR2). During the first four sessions of reversal learning, we delivered high frequency optogenetic stimulation to the OFC via optic fibers immediately following correct choice responses. Our results show that optogenetic stimulation significantly reduced the number of sessions, incorrect responses, and correction errors required to move past the early perseverative phase for both PAE and control mice. In addition, OFC-dS stimulation during early reversal learning reduced the increased sessions, correct and incorrect responding seen in PAE mice during the later learning phase of reversal but did not significantly alter later performance in control ChR2 mice. Taken together these results suggest that stimulation of OFC-dS projections can improve early reversal learning in PAE and control mice, and these improvements can persist even into later stages of the task days later. These studies provide an important foundation for future clinical approaches to improve executive control in those with FASD. This article is part of the Special Issue on "PFC circuit function in psychiatric disease and relevant models".
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Licheri
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
| | | | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
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Morningstar MD, Timme NM, Ma B, Cornwell E, Galbari T, Lapish CC. Proactive Versus Reactive Control Strategies Differentially Mediate Alcohol Drinking in Male Wistars and P Rats. eNeuro 2024; 11:ENEURO.0385-23.2024. [PMID: 38423790 PMCID: PMC10972740 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0385-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Problematic alcohol consumption is associated with deficits in decision-making and alterations in prefrontal cortex neural activity likely contribute. We hypothesized that the differences in cognitive control would be evident between male Wistars and a model of genetic risk: alcohol-preferring P rats. Cognitive control is split into proactive and reactive components. Proactive control maintains goal-directed behavior independent of a stimulus, whereas reactive control elicits goal-directed behavior at the time of a stimulus. We hypothesized that Wistars would show proactive control over alcohol seeking whereas P rats would show reactive control over alcohol seeking. Neural activity was recorded from the prefrontal cortex during an alcohol seeking task with two session types. On congruent sessions, the conditioned stimulus (CS+) was on the same side as alcohol access. Incongruent sessions presented alcohol opposite the CS+. Wistars, but not P rats, made more incorrect approaches during incongruent sessions, suggesting that Wistars utilized the previously learned rule. This motivated the hypothesis that neural activity reflecting proactive control would be observable in Wistars but not P rats. While P rats showed differences in neural activity at times of alcohol access, Wistars showed differences prior to approaching the sipper. These results support our hypothesis that Wistars are more likely to engage in proactive cognitive control strategies whereas P rats are more likely to engage in reactive cognitive control strategies. Although P rats were bred to prefer alcohol, the differences in cognitive control may reflect a sequela of behaviors that mirror those in humans at risk for an AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M D Morningstar
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - N M Timme
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - B Ma
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - E Cornwell
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - T Galbari
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
| | - C C Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
- Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology, Stark Neurosciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202
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Weber MA, Kerr G, Thangavel R, Conlon MM, Gumusoglu SB, Gupta K, Abdelmotilib HA, Halhouli O, Zhang Q, Geerling JC, Narayanan NS, Aldridge GM. Alpha-Synuclein Pre-Formed Fibrils Injected into Prefrontal Cortex Primarily Spread to Cortical and Subcortical Structures. JOURNAL OF PARKINSON'S DISEASE 2024; 14:81-94. [PMID: 38189765 PMCID: PMC10836574 DOI: 10.3233/jpd-230129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are characterized by diffuse spread of alpha-synuclein (α-syn) throughout the brain. Patients with PDD and DLB have a neuropsychological pattern of deficits that include executive dysfunction, such as abnormalities in planning, timing, working memory, and behavioral flexibility. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays a major role in normal executive function and often develops α-syn aggregates in DLB and PDD. OBJECTIVE To investigate the long-term behavioral and cognitive consequences of α-syn pathology in the cortex and characterize pathological spread of α-syn. METHODS We injected human α-syn pre-formed fibrils into the PFC of wild-type male mice. We then assessed the behavioral and cognitive effects between 12- and 21-months post-injection and characterized the spread of pathological α-syn in cortical, subcortical, and brainstem regions. RESULTS We report that PFC PFFs: 1) induced α-syn aggregation in multiple cortical and subcortical regions with sparse aggregation in midbrain and brainstem nuclei; 2) did not affect interval timing or spatial learning acquisition but did mildly alter behavioral flexibility as measured by intraday reversal learning; and 3) increased open field exploration. CONCLUSIONS This model of cortical-dominant pathology aids in our understanding of how local α-syn aggregation might impact some symptoms in PDD and DLB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Weber
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Gemma Kerr
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Ramasamy Thangavel
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Mackenzie M. Conlon
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Serena B. Gumusoglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Kalpana Gupta
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Hisham A. Abdelmotilib
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Oday Halhouli
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Joel C. Geerling
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Nandakumar S. Narayanan
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Georgina M. Aldridge
- Department of Neurology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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Handel SN, Smith RJ. Making and breaking habits: Revisiting the definitions and behavioral factors that influence habits in animals. J Exp Anal Behav 2024; 121:8-26. [PMID: 38010353 PMCID: PMC10842199 DOI: 10.1002/jeab.889] [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: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Habits have garnered significant interest in studies of associative learning and maladaptive behavior. However, habit research has faced scrutiny and challenges related to the definitions and methods. Differences in the conceptualizations of habits between animal and human studies create difficulties for translational research. Here, we review the definitions and commonly used methods for studying habits in animals and humans and discuss potential alternative ways to assess habits, such as automaticity. To better understand habits, we then focus on the behavioral factors that have been shown to make or break habits in animals, as well as potential mechanisms underlying the influence of these factors. We discuss the evidence that habitual and goal-directed systems learn in parallel and that they seem to interact in competitive and cooperative manners. Finally, we draw parallels between habitual responding and compulsive drug seeking in animals to delineate the similarities and differences in these behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia N Handel
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
| | - Rachel J Smith
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
- Institute for Neuroscience, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA
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Prieto I, Segarra AB, Banegas I, Martínez-Cañamero M, Durán R, Vives F, Domínguez-Vías G, Ramírez-Sánchez M. Correlational Study of Aminopeptidase Activities between Left or Right Frontal Cortex versus the Hypothalamus, Pituitary, Adrenal Axis of Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats Treated with Hypotensive or Hypertensive Agents. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:16007. [PMID: 37958990 PMCID: PMC10647763 DOI: 10.3390/ijms242116007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that the neuro-visceral integration works asymmetrically and that this asymmetry is dynamic and modifiable by physio-pathological influences. Aminopeptidases of the renin-angiotensin system (angiotensinases) have been shown to be modifiable under such conditions. This article analyzes the interactions of these angiotensinases between the left or right frontal cortex (FC) and the same enzymes in the hypothalamus (HT), pituitary (PT), adrenal (AD) axis (HPA) in control spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR), in SHR treated with a hypotensive agent in the form of captopril (an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor), and in SHR treated with a hypertensive agent in the form of the L-Arginine hypertensive analogue L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME). In the control SHR, there were significant negative correlations between the right FC with HPA and positive correlations between the left FC and HPA. In the captopril group, the predominance of negative correlations between the right FC and HPA and positive correlations between the HPA and left FC was maintained. In the L-NAME group, a radical change in all types of interactions was observed; particularly, there was an inversion in the predominance of negative correlations between the HPA and left FC. These results indicated a better balance of neuro-visceral interactions after captopril treatment and an increase in these interactions in the hypertensive animals, especially in those treated with L-NAME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Prieto
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; (I.P.); (A.B.S.); (I.B.); (M.M.-C.)
| | - Ana Belén Segarra
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; (I.P.); (A.B.S.); (I.B.); (M.M.-C.)
| | - Inmaculada Banegas
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; (I.P.); (A.B.S.); (I.B.); (M.M.-C.)
| | | | - Raquel Durán
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (R.D.); (F.V.)
| | - Francisco Vives
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain; (R.D.); (F.V.)
| | - Germán Domínguez-Vías
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ceuta Campus, University of Granada, 18071 Granada, Spain;
| | - Manuel Ramírez-Sánchez
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; (I.P.); (A.B.S.); (I.B.); (M.M.-C.)
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Chasse RY, Perrino PA, McLeod RM, Altmann GTM, Fitch RH. A novel approach to the assessment of higher-order rule learning in male mice. Learn Mem 2023; 30:271-277. [PMID: 37802548 PMCID: PMC10561631 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053771.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Historically, the development of valid and reliable methods for assessing higher-order cognitive abilities (e.g., rule learning and transfer) has been difficult in rodent models. To date, limited evidence supports the existence of higher cognitive abilities such as rule generation and complex decision-making in mice, rats, and rabbits. To this end, we sought to develop a task that would require mice to learn and transfer a rule. We trained mice to visually discriminate a series of images (image set, six total) of increasing complexity following three stages: (1) learn a visual target, (2) learn a rule (ignore any new images around the target), and finally (3) apply this rule in abstract form to a comparable but new image set. To evaluate learning for each stage, we measured (1) days (and performance by day) to discriminate the original target at criterion, (2) days (and performance by day) to get back to criterion when images in the set were altered by the introduction of distractors (rule learning), and (3) overall days (and performance by day) to criterion when experienced versus naïve cohorts of mice were tested on the same image set (rule transfer). Twenty-seven wild-type male C57 mice were tested using Bussey-Saksida touchscreen operant conditioning boxes (Lafayette Instruments). Two comparable black-white image sets were delivered sequentially (counterbalanced for order) to two identical cohorts of mice. Results showed that all mice were able to effectively learn their initial target image and could recall it >80 d later. We also found that mice were able to quickly learn and apply a "rule" : Ignore new distractors and continue to identify their visual target embedded in more complex images. The presence of rule learning was supported because performance criterion thresholds were regained much faster than initial learning when distractors were introduced. On the other hand, mice appeared unable to transfer this rule to a new set of stimuli. This is supported because visual discrimination curves for a new image set were no better than an initial (naïve) learning by a matched cohort of mice. Overall results have important implications for phenotyping research and particularly for the modeling of complex disorders in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renee Y Chasse
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
- Murine Behavioral Neurogenetics Facility, Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - Peter A Perrino
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
- Murine Behavioral Neurogenetics Facility, Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - Ruth M McLeod
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
- Murine Behavioral Neurogenetics Facility, Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - Gerry T M Altmann
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
| | - R Holly Fitch
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
- Murine Behavioral Neurogenetics Facility, Institute of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut 06269, USA
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Vogel A, Ueberbach T, Wilken-Schmitz A, Hahnefeld L, Franck L, Weyer MP, Jungenitz T, Schmid T, Buchmann G, Freudenberg F, Brandes RP, Gurke R, Schwarzacher SW, Geisslinger G, Mittmann T, Tegeder I. Repetitive and compulsive behavior after Early-Life-Pain associated with reduced long-chain sphingolipid species. Cell Biosci 2023; 13:155. [PMID: 37635256 PMCID: PMC10463951 DOI: 10.1186/s13578-023-01106-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pain in early life may impact on development and risk of chronic pain. We developed an optogenetic Cre/loxP mouse model of "early-life-pain" (ELP) using mice with transgenic expression of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) under control of the Advillin (Avil) promoter, which drives expression of transgenes predominantly in isolectin B4 positive non-peptidergic nociceptors in postnatal mice. Avil-ChR2 (Cre +) and ChR2-flfl control mice were exposed to blue light in a chamber once daily from P1-P5 together with their Cre-negative mother. RESULTS ELP caused cortical hyperexcitability at P8-9 as assessed via multi-electrode array recordings that coincided with reduced expression of synaptic genes (RNAseq) including Grin2b, neurexins, piccolo and voltage gated calcium and sodium channels. Young adult (8-16 wks) Avil-ChR2 mice presented with nociceptive hypersensitivity upon heat or mechanical stimulation, which did not resolve up until one year of age. The persistent hypersensitivy to nociceptive stimuli was reflected by increased calcium fluxes in primary sensory neurons of aged mice (1 year) upon capsaicin stimulation. Avil-ChR2 mice behaved like controls in maze tests of anxiety, social interaction, and spatial memory but IntelliCage behavioral studies revealed repetitive nosepokes and corner visits and compulsive lickings. Compulsiveness at the behavioral level was associated with a reduction of sphingomyelin species in brain and plasma lipidomic studies. Behavioral studies were done with female mice. CONCLUSION The results suggest that ELP may predispose to chronic "pain" and compulsive psychopathology in part mediated by alterations of sphingolipid metabolism, which have been previously described in the context of addiction and psychiatric diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Vogel
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Timo Ueberbach
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Annett Wilken-Schmitz
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lisa Hahnefeld
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune Mediated Diseases (CIMD), 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Luisa Franck
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Marc-Philipp Weyer
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tassilo Jungenitz
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Tobias Schmid
- Institute of Biochemistry I, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Partner Site Frankfurt, German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Giulia Buchmann
- Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Florian Freudenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Goethe-University Hospital, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Ralf P Brandes
- Institute of Cardiovascular Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Robert Gurke
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune Mediated Diseases (CIMD), 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Stephan W Schwarzacher
- Institute of Clinical Neuroanatomy, Neuroscience Center, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gerd Geisslinger
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMP, 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
- Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence for Immune Mediated Diseases (CIMD), 60596, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Thomas Mittmann
- Institute of Physiology, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany
| | - Irmgard Tegeder
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.
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Morningstar M, Timme N, Ma B, Cornwell E, Galbari T, Lapish C. Proactive Versus Reactive Control Strategies Differentially Mediate Alcohol Drinking in Wistar and P rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.08.544260. [PMID: 37333222 PMCID: PMC10274887 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.08.544260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Problematic alcohol consumption is associated with deficits in decision-making, and alterations in prefrontal cortex neural activity likely contributes. We hypothesized that differences in cognitive control would be evident between male Wistar rats and a model for genetic risk for alcohol use disorder (alcohol-preferring P rats). Cognitive control can be split into proactive and reactive components. Proactive control maintains goal-directed behavior independent of a stimulus whereas reactive control elicits goal-directed behavior at the time of a stimulus. We hypothesized that Wistars would show proactive control over alcohol-seeking whereas P rats would show reactive control over alcohol-seeking. Neural ensembles were recorded from prefrontal cortex during an alcohol seeking task that utilized two session types. On congruent sessions the CS+ was on the same side as alcohol access. Incongruent sessions presented alcohol opposite the CS+. Wistars, but not P rats, exhibited an increase in incorrect approaches during incongruent sessions, suggesting that Wistars utilized the previously learned task-rule. This motivated the hypothesis that ensemble activity reflecting proactive control would be observable in Wistars but not P rats. While P rats showed differences in neural activity at times relevant for alcohol delivery, Wistars showed differences prior to approaching the sipper. These results support our hypothesis that Wistars are more likely to engage proactive cognitive-control strategies whereas P rats are more likely to engage reactive cognitive control strategies. Although P rats were bred to prefer alcohol, differences in cognitive control may reflect a sequela of behaviors that mirror those in humans at risk for an AUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- M.D. Morningstar
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
| | - N.M. Timme
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
| | - B. Ma
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
| | - E. Cornwell
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
| | - T. Galbari
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
| | - C.C. Lapish
- Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. Department of Psychology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
- Indiana University School of Medicine. Stark Neurosciences. Department of Anatomy, Cell Biology, and Physiology. Indianapolis, IN, 46202. United States of America
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11
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Mabry S, Wilson EN, Bradshaw JL, Gardner JJ, Fadeyibi O, Vera E, Osikoya O, Cushen SC, Karamichos D, Goulopoulou S, Cunningham RL. Sex and age differences in social and cognitive function in offspring exposed to late gestational hypoxia. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-2507737. [PMID: 37333114 PMCID: PMC10275064 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2507737/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Background Gestational sleep apnea affects 8-26% of pregnancies and can increase the risk for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring. ASD is a neurodevelopmental disorder associated with social dysfunction, repetitive behaviors, anxiety, and cognitive impairment. To examine the relationship between gestational sleep apnea and ASD-associated behaviors, we used a chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) protocol between gestational days (GD) 15-19 in pregnant rats to model late gestational sleep apnea. We hypothesized that late gestational CIH would produce sex- and age-specific social, mood, and cognitive impairments in offspring. Methods Timed pregnant Long-Evans rats were exposed to CIH or room air normoxia from GD 15-19. Behavioral testing of offspring occurred during either puberty or young adulthood. To examine ASD-associated phenotypes, we quantified ASD-associated behaviors (social function, repetitive behaviors, anxiety-like behaviors, and spatial memory and learning), hippocampal activity (glutamatergic NMDA receptors, dopamine transporter, monoamine oxidase-A, EGR-1, and doublecortin), and circulating hormones in offspring. Results Late gestational CIH induced sex- and age-specific differences in social, repetitive and memory functions in offspring. These effects were mostly transient and present during puberty. In female pubertal offspring, CIH impaired social function, increased repetitive behaviors, and increased circulating corticosterone levels, but did not impact memory. In contrast, CIH transiently induced spatial memory dysfunction in pubertal male offspring but did not impact social or repetitive functions. Long-term effects of gestational CIH were only observed in female offspring, wherein CIH induced social disengagement and suppression of circulating corticosterone levels in young adulthood. No effects of gestational CIH were observed on anxiety-like behaviors, hippocampal activity, circulating testosterone levels, or circulating estradiol levels, regardless of sex or age of offspring. Conclusions Our results indicate that hypoxia-associated pregnancy complications during late gestation can increase the risk for ASD-associated behavioral and physiological outcomes, such as pubertal social dysfunction, corticosterone dysregulation, and memory impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve Mabry
- UNTHSC: University of North Texas Health Science Center
| | | | | | | | | | - Edward Vera
- UNTHSC: University of North Texas Health Science Center
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12
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Maith O, Baladron J, Einhäuser W, Hamker FH. Exploration behavior after reversals is predicted by STN-GPe synaptic plasticity in a basal ganglia model. iScience 2023; 26:106599. [PMID: 37250300 PMCID: PMC10214406 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans can quickly adapt their behavior to changes in the environment. Classical reversal learning tasks mainly measure how well participants can disengage from a previously successful behavior but not how alternative responses are explored. Here, we propose a novel 5-choice reversal learning task with alternating position-reward contingencies to study exploration behavior after a reversal. We compare human exploratory saccade behavior with a prediction obtained from a neuro-computational model of the basal ganglia. A new synaptic plasticity rule for learning the connectivity between the subthalamic nucleus (STN) and external globus pallidus (GPe) results in exploration biases to previously rewarded positions. The model simulations and human data both show that during experimental experience exploration becomes limited to only those positions that have been rewarded in the past. Our study demonstrates how quite complex behavior may result from a simple sub-circuit within the basal ganglia pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oliver Maith
- Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Javier Baladron
- Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
- Departamento de Ingeniería Informática, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Wolfgang Einhäuser
- Institute of Physics, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
| | - Fred H. Hamker
- Department of Computer Science, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany
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13
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Nagrale SS, Yousefi A, Netoff TI, Widge AS. In silicodevelopment and validation of Bayesian methods for optimizing deep brain stimulation to enhance cognitive control. J Neural Eng 2023; 20:036015. [PMID: 37105164 PMCID: PMC10193041 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/acd0d5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
Objective.deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral internal capsule/striatum (VCVS) is a potentially effective treatment for several mental health disorders when conventional therapeutics fail. Its effectiveness, however, depends on correct programming to engage VCVS sub-circuits. VCVS programming is currently an iterative, time-consuming process, with weeks between setting changes and reliance on noisy, subjective self-reports. An objective measure of circuit engagement might allow individual settings to be tested in seconds to minutes, reducing the time to response and increasing patient and clinician confidence in the chosen settings. Here, we present an approach to measuring and optimizing that circuit engagement.Approach.we leverage prior results showing that effective VCVS DBS engages cognitive control circuitry and improves performance on the multi-source interference task, that this engagement depends primarily on which contact(s) are activated, and that circuit engagement can be tracked through a state space modeling framework. We develop a simulation framework based on those empirical results, then combine this framework with an adaptive optimizer to simulate a principled exploration of electrode contacts and identify the contacts that maximally improve cognitive control. We explore multiple optimization options (algorithms, number of inputs, speed of stimulation parameter changes) and compare them on problems of varying difficulty.Main results.we show that an upper confidence bound algorithm outperforms other optimizers, with roughly 80% probability of convergence to a global optimum when used in a majority-vote ensemble.Significance.we show that the optimization can converge even with lag between stimulation and effect, and that a complete optimization can be done in a clinically feasible timespan (a few hours). Further, the approach requires no specialized recording or imaging hardware, and thus could be a scalable path to expand the use of DBS in psychiatric and other non-motor applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumedh S Nagrale
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Ali Yousefi
- Department of Computer Science, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, United States of America
| | - Theoden I Netoff
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
| | - Alik S Widge
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, United States of America
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14
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Rac-Lubashevsky R, Cremer A, Collins AGE, Frank MJ, Schwabe L. Neural Index of Reinforcement Learning Predicts Improved Stimulus-Response Retention under High Working Memory Load. J Neurosci 2023; 43:3131-3143. [PMID: 36931706 PMCID: PMC10146488 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1274-22.2023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Human learning and decision-making are supported by multiple systems operating in parallel. Recent studies isolating the contributions of reinforcement learning (RL) and working memory (WM) have revealed a trade-off between the two. An interactive WM/RL computational model predicts that although high WM load slows behavioral acquisition, it also induces larger prediction errors in the RL system that enhance robustness and retention of learned behaviors. Here, we tested this account by parametrically manipulating WM load during RL in conjunction with EEG in both male and female participants and administered two surprise memory tests. We further leveraged single-trial decoding of EEG signatures of RL and WM to determine whether their interaction predicted robust retention. Consistent with the model, behavioral learning was slower for associations acquired under higher load but showed parametrically improved future retention. This paradoxical result was mirrored by EEG indices of RL, which were strengthened under higher WM loads and predictive of more robust future behavioral retention of learned stimulus-response contingencies. We further tested whether stress alters the ability to shift between the two systems strategically to maximize immediate learning versus retention of information and found that induced stress had only a limited effect on this trade-off. The present results offer a deeper understanding of the cooperative interaction between WM and RL and show that relying on WM can benefit the rapid acquisition of choice behavior during learning but impairs retention.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Successful learning is achieved by the joint contribution of the dopaminergic RL system and WM. The cooperative WM/RL model was productive in improving our understanding of the interplay between the two systems during learning, demonstrating that reliance on RL computations is modulated by WM load. However, the role of WM/RL systems in the retention of learned stimulus-response associations remained unestablished. Our results show that increased neural signatures of learning, indicative of greater RL computation, under high WM load also predicted better stimulus-response retention. This result supports a trade-off between the two systems, where degraded WM increases RL processing, which improves retention. Notably, we show that this cooperative interplay remains largely unaffected by acute stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Rac-Lubashevsky
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| | - Anna Cremer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universitat Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anne G E Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720-1650
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720
| | - Michael J Frank
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
- Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02912
| | - Lars Schwabe
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Universitat Hamburg, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
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15
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Ferguson B, Glick C, Huguenard JR. Prefrontal PV interneurons facilitate attention and are linked to attentional dysfunction in a mouse model of absence epilepsy. eLife 2023; 12:e78349. [PMID: 37014118 PMCID: PMC10072875 DOI: 10.7554/elife.78349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Absence seizures are characterized by brief periods of unconsciousness accompanied by lapses in motor function that can occur hundreds of times throughout the day. Outside of these frequent moments of unconsciousness, approximately a third of people living with the disorder experience treatment-resistant attention impairments. Convergent evidence suggests prefrontal cortex (PFC) dysfunction may underlie attention impairments in affected patients. To examine this, we use a combination of slice physiology, fiber photometry, electrocorticography (ECoG), optogenetics, and behavior in the Scn8a+/-mouse model of absence epilepsy. Attention function was measured using a novel visual attention task where a light cue that varied in duration predicted the location of a food reward. In Scn8a+/-mice, we find altered parvalbumin interneuron (PVIN) output in the medial PFC (mPFC) in vitro and PVIN hypoactivity along with reductions in gamma power during cue presentation in vivo. This was associated with poorer attention performance in Scn8a+/-mice that could be rescued by gamma-frequency optogenetic stimulation of PVINs. This highlights cue-related PVIN activity as an important mechanism for attention and suggests PVINs may represent a therapeutic target for cognitive comorbidities in absence epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brielle Ferguson
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical SchoolBostonUnited States
- Program in Neurobiology and Department of Neurology, Boston Children's HospitalBostonUnited States
| | - Cameron Glick
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
| | - John R Huguenard
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford UniversityStanfordUnited States
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16
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Torrado Pacheco A, Olson RJ, Garza G, Moghaddam B. Acute psilocybin enhances cognitive flexibility in rats. Neuropsychopharmacology 2023; 48:1011-1020. [PMID: 36807609 PMCID: PMC10209151 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01545-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Psilocybin has been shown to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety when combined with psychotherapy or other clinician-guided interventions. To understand the neural basis for this pattern of clinical efficacy, experimental and conceptual approaches that are different than traditional laboratory models of anxiety and depression are needed. A potential novel mechanism is that acute psilocybin improves cognitive flexibility, which then enhances the impact of clinician-assisted interventions. Consistent with this idea, we find that acute psilocybin robustly improves cognitive flexibility in male and female rats using a task where animals switched between previously learned strategies in response to uncued changes in the environment. Psilocybin did not influence Pavlovian reversal learning, suggesting that its cognitive effects are selective to enhanced switching between previously learned behavioral strategies. The serotonin (5HT) 2 A receptor antagonist ketanserin blocked psilocybin's effect on set-shifting, while a 5HT2C-selective antagonist did not. Ketanserin alone also improved set-shifting performance, suggesting a complex relationship between psilocybin's pharmacology and its impact on flexibility. Further, the psychedelic drug 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) impaired cognitive flexibility in the same task, suggesting that this effect of psilocybin does not generalize to all other serotonergic psychedelics. We conclude that the acute impact of psilocybin on cognitive flexibility provides a useful behavioral model to investigate its neuronal effects relevant to its positive clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Torrado Pacheco
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
| | - Randall J Olson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Gabriela Garza
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Bita Moghaddam
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA.
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17
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Torrado Pacheco A, Olson RJ, Garza G, Moghaddam B. Acute psilocybin enhances cognitive flexibility in rats. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.01.09.523291. [PMID: 36712091 PMCID: PMC9881983 DOI: 10.1101/2023.01.09.523291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Psilocybin has been shown to improve symptoms of depression and anxiety when combined with psychotherapy or other clinician-guided interventions. To understand the neural basis for this pattern of clinical efficacy, experimental and conceptual approaches that are different than traditional laboratory models of anxiety and depression are needed. A potential novel mechanism is that acute psilocybin improves cognitive flexibility, which then enhances the impact of clinician-assisted interventions. Consistent with this idea, we find that acute psilocybin robustly improves cognitive flexibility in male and female rats using a task where animals switched between previously learned strategies in response to uncued changes in the environment. Psilocybin did not influence Pavlovian reversal learning, suggesting that its cognitive effects are selective to enhanced switching between previously learned behavioral strategies. The serotonin (5HT) 2A receptor antagonist ketanserin blocked psilocybin's effect on set-shifting, while a 5HT2C-selective antagonist did not. Ketanserin alone also improved set-shifting performance, suggesting a complex relationship between psilocybin's pharmacology and its impact on flexibility. Further, the psychedelic drug 2,5-Dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine (DOI) impaired cognitive flexibility in the same task, suggesting that this effect of psilocybin does not generalize to all other serotonergic psychedelics. We conclude that the acute impact of psilocybin on cognitive flexibility provides a useful behavioral model to investigate its neuronal effects relevant to its positive clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandro Torrado Pacheco
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239,Corresponding author:;
| | - Randall J. Olson
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239
| | - Gabriela Garza
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239,Current address: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Bita Moghaddam
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239,Corresponding author:;
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18
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Robinson S, Winer JL, Kitase Y, Brigman JL, Jantzie LL. Neonatal administration of erythropoietin attenuates cognitive deficits in adult rats following placental insufficiency. J Neurosci Res 2022; 100:2112-2126. [PMID: 33611820 PMCID: PMC10097461 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Preterm birth is a principal cause of neurological disability later in life, including cognitive and behavioral deficits. Notably, cognitive impairment has greater impact on quality of life than physical disability. Survivors of preterm birth commonly have deficits of executive function. Difficulties with tasks and planning complexity correlate positively with increasing disability. To overcome these barriers for children born preterm, preclinical and clinical studies have emphasized the importance of neurorestoration. Erythropoietin (EPO) is a endogenous cytokine with multiple beneficial mechanisms of action following perinatal brain injury. While most preclinical investigations have focused on pathology and molecular mechanisms, translational studies of repair using clinically viable biobehavioral biomarkers are still lacking. Here, using an established model of encephalopathy of prematurity secondary to placental insufficiency, we tested the hypothesis that administration of EPO in the neonatal period would attenuate deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility in adult rats of both sexes. We assessed cognition and executive function in two ways. First, using the classic test of novel object recognition and second, using a touchscreen platform. Touchscreen testing allows for rigorous testing of cognition and executive function in preclinical and clinical scenarios. Data show that adult rats exhibit deficits in recognition memory and cognitive flexibility following in utero placental insufficiency. Notably, neonatal treatment of EPO attenuates these deficits in adulthood and facilitates functional repair. Together, these data validate EPO neurorestoration using a clinically relevant outcome measure and support the concept that postnatal treatment following in utero injury can improve cognition and executive function through adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenandoah Robinson
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jesse L Winer
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Yuma Kitase
- Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neuroscience, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Lauren L Jantzie
- Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Division of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
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19
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Divergent Neural and Endocrine Responses in Wild-Caught and Laboratory-Bred Rattus Norvegicus. Behav Brain Res 2022; 432:113978. [PMID: 35753530 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Although rodents have represented the most intensely studied animals in neurobiological investigations for more than a century, few studies have systematically compared neural and endocrine differences between wild rodents in their natural habitats and laboratory strains raised in traditional laboratory environments. In the current study, male and female Rattus norvegicus rats were trapped in an urban setting and compared to weight-and sex-matched conspecifics living in standard laboratory housing conditions. Brains were extracted for neural assessments and fecal boli were collected for endocrine [corticosterone and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)] assays. Additionally, given their role in immune and stress functions, spleen and adrenal weights were recorded. A separate set of wild rats was trapped at a dairy farm and held in captivity for one month prior to assessments; in these animals, brains were processed but no hormone data were available. The results indicated that wild-trapped rats exhibited 31% heavier brains, including higher densities of cerebellar neurons and glial cells in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. The wild rats also had approximately 300% greater spleen and adrenal weights, and more than a six-fold increase in corticosterone levels than observed in laboratory rats. Further research on neurobiological variables in wild vs. lab animals will inform the extensive neurobiological knowledge base derived from laboratory investigations using selectively bred rodents in laboratory environments, knowledge that will enhance the translational value of preclinical laboratory rodent studies.
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20
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Galloni AR, Ye Z, Rancz E. Dendritic Domain-Specific Sampling of Long-Range Axons Shapes Feedforward and Feedback Connectivity of L5 Neurons. J Neurosci 2022; 42:3394-3405. [PMID: 35241493 PMCID: PMC9034780 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1620-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Feedforward and feedback pathways interact in specific dendritic domains to enable cognitive functions such as predictive processing and learning. Based on axonal projections, hierarchically lower areas are thought to form synapses primarily on dendrites in middle cortical layers, whereas higher-order areas are thought to target dendrites in layer 1 and in deep layers. However, the extent to which functional synapses form in regions of axodendritic overlap has not been extensively studied. Here, we use viral tracing in the secondary visual cortex of male mice to map brain-wide inputs to thick-tufted layer 5 pyramidal neurons. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive map of input locations through subcellular optogenetic circuit mapping. We show that input pathways target distinct dendritic domains with far greater specificity than appears from their axonal branching, often deviating substantially from the canonical patterns. Common assumptions regarding the dendrite-level interaction of feedforward and feedback inputs may thus need revisiting.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Perception and learning depend on the ability of the brain to shape neuronal representations across all processing stages. Long-range connections across different hierarchical levels enable diverse sources of contextual information, such as predictions or motivational state, to modify feedforward signals. Assumptions regarding the organization of this hierarchical connectivity have not been extensively verified. Here, we assess the synaptic connectivity of brain-wide projections onto pyramidal neurons in the visual cortex of mice. Using trans-synaptic viral tracing and subcellular optogenetic circuit mapping, we show that functional synapses do not follow the consistent connectivity rule predicted by their axonal branching patterns. These findings highlight the diversity of computational strategies operating throughout cortical networks and may aid in building better artificial networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandro R Galloni
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
- University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Zhiwen Ye
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
| | - Ede Rancz
- The Francis Crick Institute, London NW1 1AT, United Kingdom
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21
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Eckstein MK, Master SL, Dahl RE, Wilbrecht L, Collins AG. Reinforcement learning and bayesian inference provide complementary models for the unique advantage of adolescents in stochastic reversal. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 55:101106. [PMID: 35537273 PMCID: PMC9108470 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
During adolescence, youth venture out, explore the wider world, and are challenged to learn how to navigate novel and uncertain environments. We investigated how performance changes across adolescent development in a stochastic, volatile reversal-learning task that uniquely taxes the balance of persistence and flexibility. In a sample of 291 participants aged 8–30, we found that in the mid-teen years, adolescents outperformed both younger and older participants. We developed two independent cognitive models, based on Reinforcement learning (RL) and Bayesian inference (BI). The RL parameter for learning from negative outcomes and the BI parameters specifying participants’ mental models were closest to optimal in mid-teen adolescents, suggesting a central role in adolescent cognitive processing. By contrast, persistence and noise parameters improved monotonically with age. We distilled the insights of RL and BI using principal component analysis and found that three shared components interacted to form the adolescent performance peak: adult-like behavioral quality, child-like time scales, and developmentally-unique processing of positive feedback. This research highlights adolescence as a neurodevelopmental window that can create performance advantages in volatile and uncertain environments. It also shows how detailed insights can be gleaned by using cognitive models in new ways.
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22
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Molinard-Chenu A, Godel M, Rey A, Musardo S, Bodogan T, Vutskits L, Bellone C, Dayer A. Down-regulation of the schizophrenia risk-gene Dgcr2 alters early microcircuit development in the mouse medial prefrontal cortex. Int J Dev Neurosci 2022; 82:277-285. [PMID: 35212007 PMCID: PMC9313615 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Alterations in the generation, migration and integration of different subtypes of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) microcircuit could play an important role in vulnerability to schizophrenia. Using in vivo cell‐type specific manipulation of pyramidal neurons (PNs) progenitors, we aim to investigate the role of the schizophrenia risk‐gene DiGeorge Critical Region 2 (Dgcr2) on cortical circuit formation in the mPFC of developing mice. This report describes how Dgcr2 knock down in upper‐layer PNs impacts the functional maturation of PNs and interneurons (INs) in the mPFC. First, we demonstrate that Dgcr2 knock‐down disrupts laminar positioning, dendritic morphology and excitatory activity of upper‐layer PNs. Interestingly, inhibitory activity is also modified in Dgcr2 knock‐down PNs, suggesting a broader microcircuit alteration involving interneurons. Further analyses show that the histological maturation of parvalbumin (PV) INs is not dramatically impaired, thus implying that other INs subtypes might be at play in the reported microcircuit alteration. Overall, this study unravels how local functional deficits of the early postnatal development of the mPFC can be induced by Dgcr2 knock‐down in PNs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aude Molinard-Chenu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Michel Godel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Alicia Rey
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Musardo
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Timea Bodogan
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Laszlo Vutskits
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Camilla Bellone
- Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
| | - Alexandre Dayer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland.,Department of Basic Neurosciences, University of Geneva Medical School, Geneva 4, Switzerland
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23
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BIPOLAR DISORDER, MOOD STABILIZERS AND COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY: TRANSLATIONALLY DISSECTING ILLNESS FROM DRUG EFFECTS. Behav Brain Res 2022; 424:113799. [PMID: 35181389 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Bipolar disorder (BD) effects on cognition are confounded by the putative cognitive impact of its major pharmacological treatments, given the neurotrophic potential of mood stabilizers, particularly lithium. We examined the area of cognitive flexibility (CF), aiming to disentangle BD from medication effects, using translational methodology. CF was assessed by CANTAB-IED (intra- extra-dimensional shift; Study 1, euthymic BD participants) and its animal analogue (Study 2, rats). Both studies included groups (1) control, (2) lithium, chronic, current treatment (LI-CHRON-C, A: >2 years, N=32; B: 2 months, N=11); (3) valproate, chronic, current treatment (VPA-CHRON-C, A: >2 years, N=30; B: 2 months, N=12). Study 2 included 2 additional groups; Group 4: LI-CHRON-PAST (2 months, stopped 1 month pretest, N=13); Group 5: LI-ACUTE (LI on test days only, N=13). In Study 1, neither total nor stage (discrimination: D; reversal R; intra- extra-dimensional shifts: IED) IED errors differed between groups [(Kruskal-Wallis: H(2, N= 94) 0.95 > p > 0.65]. Similarly in Study 2, errors did not differentiate the 5 pharmacological groups. Differences emerged only between LI-ACUTE and Controls in response latencies (D, R, IED ANOVAS: 0.002 > p > 0.0003; contrasts D, R: p = 0.002, 0.0001). In conclusion, LI and VPA BD patients were indistinguishable from Controls in IED errors, as were animals treated with LI-CHRON, current or past, or VPA-CHRON-C vs Controls. LI-ACUTE treatment produced significant latency deficits vs. Controls. Within the limitations of translational comparisons, our results suggest that the normal CF noted in euthymic BDs is not attributable to mood stabilizer effects.
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24
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Miles B, Yang W, Dezsi G, Sokolenko E, Gomes FMM, Jupp B, Hill R, Hudson M, Jones NC. High sucrose diet does not impact spatial cognition in rats using advanced touchscreen technology. Behav Brain Res 2022; 418:113665. [PMID: 34767903 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Western diets, including those consisting of saturated fats, simple sugars and processed foods, is rising at an unprecedented rate. These lead to obesity and metabolic diseases, and possibly cognitive deficits. Exploring this, recent studies demonstrate marked impairment in spatial learning in rodents exposed to high-sugar diets. We utilised advanced touchscreen technology to assess several spatial and non-spatial components of cognition in rats chronically exposed to a high sucrose diet. METHODS Male Wistar rats received 70 ml of 10% sucrose solution each day, or control tap water, persisting for the experiment duration (total n = 32). After 5 weeks of diet, rats performed Pairwise Discrimination, Location Discrimination, or Progressive Ratio tasks on automated touchscreens, and performance compared between groups. RESULTS Sucrose rats consumed all the sugar solution provided to them, and had significantly increased caloric intake, compared to controls (p < 0.0001). However, in all tests, we found no significant difference in cognitive performance between Sucrose and Control treated rats. This included the number of trials for acquisition, and reversal, in Pairwise Discrimination, and number of trials required to complete Location Discrimination (p > 0.05 for all outcomes). No differences were observed in perseverative behaviour, motivation levels, or processing speed. CONCLUSION Our study found no evidence to suggest that chronic consumption of sucrose impairs cognition, including both spatial and non-spatial learning tasks. These findings suggest that not all aspects of spatial cognition are negatively impacted by high sugar diet in rodents, and that particular use of touchscreen technology may probe different aspects of cognition than traditional tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Briannah Miles
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - William Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Gabi Dezsi
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Elysia Sokolenko
- Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
| | - Flávia M M Gomes
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Bianca Jupp
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Rachel Hill
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia
| | - Matthew Hudson
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia
| | - Nigel C Jones
- Department of Neuroscience, Central Clinical School, Monash University, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, VIC 3004, Australia; Department of Medicine (Royal Melbourne Hospital), University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia.
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25
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Durairaja A, Steinecke CS, Fendt M. Intracerebroventricular infusion of the selective orexin 1 receptor antagonist SB-334867 impairs cognitive flexibility in a sex-dependent manner. Behav Brain Res 2022; 424:113791. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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26
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Hiramoto T, Sumiyoshi A, Yamauchi T, Tanigaki K, Shi Q, Kang G, Ryoke R, Nonaka H, Enomoto S, Izumi T, Bhat MA, Kawashima R, Hiroi N. Tbx1, a gene encoded in 22q11.2 copy number variant, is a link between alterations in fimbria myelination and cognitive speed in mice. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:929-938. [PMID: 34737458 PMCID: PMC9054676 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01318-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Copy number variants (CNVs) have provided a reliable entry point to identify the structural correlates of atypical cognitive development. Hemizygous deletion of human chromosome 22q11.2 is associated with impaired cognitive function; however, the mechanisms by which the CNVs contribute to cognitive deficits via diverse structural alterations in the brain remain unclear. This study aimed to determine the cellular basis of the link between alterations in brain structure and cognitive functions in mice with a heterozygous deletion of Tbx1, one of the 22q11.2-encoded genes. Ex vivo whole-brain diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI)-magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Tbx1 heterozygous mice indicated that the fimbria was the only region with significant myelin alteration. Electron microscopic and histological analyses showed that Tbx1 heterozygous mice exhibited an apparent absence of large myelinated axons and thicker myelin in medium axons in the fimbria, resulting in an overall decrease in myelin. The fimbria of Tbx1 heterozygous mice showed reduced mRNA levels of Ng2, a gene required to produce oligodendrocyte precursor cells. Moreover, postnatal progenitor cells derived from the subventricular zone, a source of oligodendrocytes in the fimbria, produced fewer oligodendrocytes in vitro. Behavioral analyses of these mice showed selectively slower acquisition of spatial memory and cognitive flexibility with no effects on their accuracy or sensory or motor capacities. Our findings provide a genetic and cellular basis for the compromised cognitive speed in patients with 22q11.2 hemizygous deletion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Hiramoto
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Akira Sumiyoshi
- Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
- National Institutes for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology, 4-9-1, Anagawa, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8555, Japan
| | - Takahira Yamauchi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Kenji Tanigaki
- Research Institute, Shiga Medical Center, 5-4-30 Moriyama, Moriyama-shi, Shiga, Japan
| | - Qian Shi
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Gina Kang
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Rie Ryoke
- Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Hiroi Nonaka
- Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Shingo Enomoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Takeshi Izumi
- Department of Pharmacology, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Tobetsu, Ishikari, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Japan
- Advanced Research Promotion Center, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, 1757 Kanazawa, Tobetsu, Ishikari, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Japan
| | - Manzoor A Bhat
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Ryuta Kawashima
- Institute of Development, Aging, and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8575, Japan
| | - Noboru Hiroi
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
- Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA.
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27
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Hafez AK, Zimmerman AJ, Papageorgiou G, Chandrasekaran J, Amoah SK, Lin R, Lozano E, Pierotti C, Dell'Orco M, Hartley BJ, Alural B, Lalonde J, Esposito JM, Berretta S, Squassina A, Chillotti C, Voloudakis G, Shao Z, Fullard JF, Brennand KJ, Turecki G, Roussos P, Perlis RH, Haggarty SJ, Perrone-Bizzozero N, Brigman JL, Mellios N. A bidirectional competitive interaction between circHomer1 and Homer1b within the orbitofrontal cortex regulates reversal learning. Cell Rep 2022; 38:110282. [PMID: 35045295 PMCID: PMC8809079 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although circular RNAs (circRNAs) are enriched in the brain, their relevance for brain function and psychiatric disorders is poorly understood. Here, we show that circHomer1 is inversely associated with relative HOMER1B mRNA isoform levels in both the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and stem-cell-derived neuronal cultures of subjects with psychiatric disorders. We further demonstrate that in vivo circHomer1 knockdown (KD) within the OFC can inhibit the synaptic expression of Homer1b mRNA. Furthermore, we show that circHomer1 directly binds to Homer1b mRNA and that Homer1b-specific KD increases synaptic circHomer1 levels and improves OFC-mediated behavioral flexibility. Importantly, double circHomer1 and Homer1b in vivo co-KD results in a complete rescue in circHomer1-associated alterations in both chance reversal learning and synaptic gene expression. Lastly, we uncover an RNA-binding protein that can directly bind to circHomer1 and promote its biogenesis. Taken together, our data provide mechanistic insights into the importance of circRNAs in brain function and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander K Hafez
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Amber J Zimmerman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Grigorios Papageorgiou
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Stephen K Amoah
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Rixing Lin
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Evelyn Lozano
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Caroline Pierotti
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Michela Dell'Orco
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Brigham J Hartley
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Begüm Alural
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jasmin Lalonde
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Sabina Berretta
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory, Mclean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Program in Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alessio Squassina
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Section of Neuroscience and Clinical Pharmacology, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Caterina Chillotti
- Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital Agency of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Georgios Voloudakis
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhiping Shao
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - John F Fullard
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kristen J Brennand
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, Friedman Brain Institute, Departments of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Panos Roussos
- Pamela Sklar Division of Psychiatric Genomics, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Institute for Data Science and Genomic Technology, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Centers, James J. Peters VA Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Roy H Perlis
- Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Boston, MA, USA; Center for Experimental Drugs and Diagnostics, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Stephen J Haggarty
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Chemical Neurobiology Laboratory, Departments of Neurology and Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nora Perrone-Bizzozero
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Nikolaos Mellios
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; Autophagy Inflammation and Metabolism Center of Biomedical Research Excellence, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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28
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Liao J, Dong G, Wulaer B, Sawahata M, Mizoguchi H, Mori D, Ozaki N, Nabeshima T, Nagai T, Yamada K. Mice with exonic RELN deletion identified from a patient with schizophrenia have impaired visual discrimination learning and reversal learning in touchscreen operant tasks. Behav Brain Res 2022; 416:113569. [PMID: 34499931 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The Reelin gene (RELN) encodes a large extracellular protein, which has multiple roles in brain development and adult brain function. It activates a series of neuronal signal transduction pathways in the adult brain that function in synaptic plasticity, dendritic morphology, and cognitive function. To further investigate the roles of Reln in brain function, we generated a mouse line using the C57BL/6 J strain with the specific Reln deletion identified from a Japanese patient with schizophrenia (Reln-del mice). These mice exhibited abnormal sociality, but the pathophysiological significance of the Reln deletion for higher brain functions, such as learning and behavioral flexibility remains unclear. In this study, cognitive function in Reln-del mice was assessed using touchscreen-based visual discrimination (VD) and reversal learning (RL) tasks. Reln-del mice showed normal learning in the simple VD task, but the learning was delayed in the complex VD task as compared to their wild-type (WT) littermates. In the RL task, sessions were divided into early perseverative phase (sessions with <50% correct) and later learning phase (sessions with ≥50% correct). Reln-del mice showed normal perseveration but impaired relearning ability in both simple RL and complex RL task as compared to WT mice. These results suggest that Reln-del mice have impaired learning ability, but the behavioral flexibility is unaffected. Overall, the observed behavioral abnormalities in Reln-del mice suggest that this mouse model is a useful preclinical tool for investigating the neurobiological mechanism underlying cognitive impairments in schizophrenia and a therapeutic strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingzhu Liao
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Geyao Dong
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Bolati Wulaer
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Department of Disease Control and Prevention, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
| | - Masahito Sawahata
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Mizoguchi
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan
| | - Daisuke Mori
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan; Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Norio Ozaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan; Brain and Mind Research Center, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan; Medical Genomics Center, Nagoya University Hospital, Nagoya 466-8560, Japan
| | - Toshitaka Nabeshima
- Advanced Diagnostic System Research Laboratory, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan; Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan
| | - Taku Nagai
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; Project Office for Neuropsychological Research Center, Fujita Health University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Toyoake 470-1192, Japan
| | - Kiyofumi Yamada
- Department of Neuropsychopharmacology and Hospital Pharmacy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya 466-8550, Japan; Japanese Drug Organization of Appropriate Use and Research, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan.
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29
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Sultan S, Hauser J, Oliveira M, Rytz A, Preitner N, Schneider N. Effects of Post-natal Dietary Milk Fat Globule Membrane Polar Lipid Supplementation on Motor Skills, Anxiety, and Long-Term Memory in Adulthood. Front Nutr 2021; 8:737731. [PMID: 34869518 PMCID: PMC8637295 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2021.737731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life nutrition critically impacts post-natal brain maturation and cognitive development. Post-natal dietary deficits in specific nutrients, such as lipids, minerals or vitamins are associated with brain maturation and cognitive impairments. Specifically, polar lipids (PL), such as sphingolipids and phospholipids, are important cellular membrane building blocks and are critical for brain connectivity due to their role in neurite outgrowth, synaptic formation, and myelination. In this preclinical study, we assessed the effects of a chronic supplementation with a source of PL extracted from an alpha-lactalbumin enriched whey protein containing 10% lipids from early life (post-natal day (PND) 7) to adulthood (PND 72) on adult motor skills, anxiety, and long-term memory. The motor skills were assessed using open field and rotarod test. Anxiety was assessed using elevated plus maze (EPM). Long-term object and spatial memory were assessed using novel object recognition (NOR) and Morris water maze (MWM). Our results suggest that chronic PL supplementation improved measures of spatial long-term memory accuracy and cognitive flexibility in the MWM in adulthood, with no change in general mobility, anxiety and exploratory behavior. Our results indicate memory specific functional benefits of long-term dietary PL during post-natal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sébastien Sultan
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jonas Hauser
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Oliveira
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Andreas Rytz
- Clinical Research Unit, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Preitner
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Nora Schneider
- Brain Health Department, Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences, Nestlé Research, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland
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30
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Loureiro-Campos E, Mateus-Pinheiro A, Patrício P, Soares-Cunha C, Silva J, Sardinha VM, Mendes-Pinheiro B, Silveira-Rosa T, Domingues AV, Rodrigues AJ, Oliveira J, Sousa N, Alves ND, Pinto L. Constitutive deficiency of the neurogenic hippocampal modulator AP2γ promotes anxiety-like behavior and cumulative memory deficits in mice from juvenile to adult periods. eLife 2021; 10:70685. [PMID: 34859784 PMCID: PMC8709574 DOI: 10.7554/elife.70685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The transcription factor activating protein two gamma (AP2γ) is an important regulator of neurogenesis both during embryonic development as well as in the postnatal brain, but its role for neurophysiology and behavior at distinct postnatal periods is still unclear. In this work, we explored the neurogenic, behavioral, and functional impact of a constitutive and heterozygous AP2γ deletion in mice from early postnatal development until adulthood. AP2γ deficiency promotes downregulation of hippocampal glutamatergic neurogenesis, altering the ontogeny of emotional and memory behaviors associated with hippocampus formation. The impairments induced by AP2γ constitutive deletion since early development leads to an anxious-like phenotype and memory impairments as early as the juvenile phase. These behavioral impairments either persist from the juvenile phase to adulthood or emerge in adult mice with deficits in behavioral flexibility and object location recognition. Collectively, we observed a progressive and cumulative impact of constitutive AP2γ deficiency on the hippocampal glutamatergic neurogenic process, as well as alterations on limbic-cortical connectivity, together with functional behavioral impairments. The results herein presented demonstrate the modulatory role exerted by the AP2γ transcription factor and the relevance of hippocampal neurogenesis in the development of emotional states and memory processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Loureiro-Campos
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - António Mateus-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Patrícia Patrício
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Carina Soares-Cunha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Silva
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Vanessa Morais Sardinha
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Bárbara Mendes-Pinheiro
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Tiago Silveira-Rosa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana Verónica Domingues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Ana João Rodrigues
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
| | - João Oliveira
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal.,IPCA-EST-2Ai, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Applied Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Campus of IPCA, Barcelos, Portugal
| | - Nuno Sousa
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Nuno Dinis Alves
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Luísa Pinto
- Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Medicine, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.,ICVS/3B's -PT Government Associate Laboratory, Guimarães, Portugal
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31
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Marquardt K, Josey M, Kenton JA, Cavanagh JF, Holmes A, Brigman JL. Impaired cognitive flexibility following NMDAR-GluN2B deletion is associated with altered orbitofrontal-striatal function. Neuroscience 2021; 475:230-245. [PMID: 34656223 PMCID: PMC8592269 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
A common feature across neuropsychiatric disorders is inability to discontinue an action or thought once it has become detrimental. Reversal learning, a hallmark of executive control, requires plasticity within cortical, striatal and limbic circuits and is highly sensitive to disruption of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) function. In particular, selective deletion or antagonism of GluN2B containing NMDARs in cortical regions including the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), promotes maladaptive perseveration. It remains unknown whether GluN2B functions to maintain local cortical activity necessary for reversal learning, or if it exerts a broader influence on the integration of neural activity across cortical and subcortical systems. To address this question, we utilized in vivo electrophysiology to record neuronal activity and local field potentials (LFP) in the orbitofrontal cortex and dorsal striatum (dS) of mice with deletion of GluN2B in neocortical and hippocampal principal cells while they performed touchscreen reversal learning. Reversal impairment produced by corticohippocampal GluN2B deletion was paralleled by an aberrant increase in functional connectivity between the OFC and dS. These alterations in coordination were associated with alterations in local OFC and dS firing activity. These data demonstrate highly dynamic patterns of cortical and striatal activity concomitant with reversal learning, and reveal GluN2B as a molecular mechanism underpinning the timing of these processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Marquardt
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Megan Josey
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, UNM Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
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32
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Albarran E, Raissi A, Jáidar O, Shatz CJ, Ding JB. Enhancing motor learning by increasing the stability of newly formed dendritic spines in the motor cortex. Neuron 2021; 109:3298-3311.e4. [PMID: 34437845 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.07.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Dendritic spine dynamics are thought to be substrates for motor learning and memory, and altered spine dynamics often lead to impaired performance. Here, we describe an exception to this rule by studying mice lacking paired immunoglobulin receptor B (PirB-/-). Pyramidal neuron dendrites in PirB-/- mice have increased spine formation rates and density. Surprisingly, PirB-/- mice learn a skilled reaching task faster than wild-type (WT) littermates. Furthermore, stabilization of learning-induced spines is elevated in PirB-/- mice. Mechanistically, single-spine uncaging experiments suggest that PirB is required for NMDA receptor (NMDAR)-dependent spine shrinkage. The degree of survival of newly formed spines correlates with performance, suggesting that increased spine stability is advantageous for learning. Acute inhibition of PirB function in M1 of adult WT mice increases the survival of learning-induced spines and enhances motor learning. These results demonstrate that there are limits on motor learning that can be lifted by manipulating PirB, even in adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eddy Albarran
- Neurosciences Graduate Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Aram Raissi
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Omar Jáidar
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Carla J Shatz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurobiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Jun B Ding
- Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Bio-X, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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33
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Coleman LG, Crews FT, Vetreno RP. The persistent impact of adolescent binge alcohol on adult brain structural, cellular, and behavioral pathology: A role for the neuroimmune system and epigenetics. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2021; 160:1-44. [PMID: 34696871 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2021.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a critical neurodevelopmental window for maturation of brain structure, neurocircuitry, and glia. This development is sculpted by an individual's unique experiences and genetic background to establish adult level cognitive function and behavioral makeup. Alcohol abuse during adolescence is associated with an increased lifetime risk for developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). Adolescents participate in heavy, episodic binge drinking that causes persistent changes in neurocircuitry and behavior. These changes may underlie the increased risk for AUD and might also promote cognitive deficits later in life. In this chapter, we have examined research on the persistent effects of adolescent binge-drinking both in humans and in rodent models. These studies implicate roles for neuroimmune signaling as well as epigenetic reprogramming of neurons and glia, which create a vulnerable neuroenvironment. Some of these changes are reversible, giving hope for future treatments to prevent many of the long-term consequences of adolescent alcohol abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leon G Coleman
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.
| | - Fulton T Crews
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Ryan P Vetreno
- Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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34
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Kaplan JS, Wagner JK, Reid K, McGuinness F, Arvila S, Brooks M, Stevenson H, Jones J, Risch B, McGillis T, Budinich R, Gambell E, Predovich B. Cannabidiol Exposure During the Mouse Adolescent Period Is Without Harmful Behavioral Effects on Locomotor Activity, Anxiety, and Spatial Memory. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:711639. [PMID: 34512286 PMCID: PMC8426900 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.711639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-intoxicating phytocannabinoid whose purported therapeutic benefits and impression of a high safety profile has promoted its increasing popularity. CBD’s popularity is also increasing among children and adolescents who are being administered CBD, off label, for the treatment of numerous symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, and depression. The relative recency of its use in the adolescent population has precluded investigation of its impact on the developing brain and the potential consequences that may present in adulthood. Therefore, there’s an urgency to identify whether prolonged adolescent CBD exposure has substantive impacts on the developing brain that impact behavioral and cognitive processes in adulthood. Here, we tested the effect of twice-daily intraperitoneal administrations of CBD (20 mg/kg) in male and female C57BL/6J mice during the adolescent period of 25–45 days on weight gain, and assays for locomotor behavior, anxiety, and spatial memory. Prolonged adolescent CBD exposure had no detrimental effects on locomotor activity in the open field, anxiety behavior on the elevated plus maze, or spatial memory in the Barnes Maze compared to vehicle-treated mice. Interestingly, CBD-treated mice had a faster rate of learning in the Barnes Maze. However, CBD-treated females had reduced weight gain during the exposure period. We conclude that prolonged adolescent CBD exposure in mice does not have substantive negative impacts on a range of behaviors in adulthood, may improve the rate of learning under certain conditions, and impacts weight gain in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Kaplan
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - J K Wagner
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - K Reid
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - F McGuinness
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - S Arvila
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - M Brooks
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - H Stevenson
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - J Jones
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - B Risch
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States.,Department of Psychology, Experimental Psychology Graduate Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - T McGillis
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - R Budinich
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
| | - E Gambell
- Department of Psychology, Behavioral Neuroscience Program, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA, United States
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35
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Impact of specific serotonin receptor modulation on behavioral flexibility. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 209:173243. [PMID: 34314738 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Serotonin (5-HT) is known to play a critical role in regulation of essential neural processes, whereas more recent research highlights serotonin's modulatory effects on cognition and executive functioning. Current examinations have identified specific serotonin receptors for their direct impact on behavioral flexibility. Providing definitive evidence for the impact of specific receptor targets on behavioral flexibility is difficult, due to the range of behavioral tests used. Due to limited studies and the sheer amount of different serotonin receptor targets, beginning to bring these studies together is important for the field. Our current review of the literature aims to differentiate how modulation of specific 5-HT receptors affects behavioral flexibility. Although more studies have examined 5-HT2A, 5-HT2C, and 5-HT6 receptors, it is unclear why this is the case. Above all, there are some paradoxical results pertaining to these receptor targets. There is a clear distinction between 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C, which conveys that these two receptor subtypes have inverse effects when compared to each other. In addition, some findings support one another, such as upregulation of 5-HT6 receptors impairs flexibility, while blockade alleviates this impairment in both drug-induced and disease model rodent studies. Further understanding how modulatory effects of specific 5-HT receptors impact behavioral flexibility is imperative to advance the development of new therapeutics for neuropsychiatric disorders afflicted by behavioral inflexibility.
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Cernotova D, Stuchlik A, Svoboda J. Roles of the ventral hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex in spatial reversal learning and attentional set-shifting. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 183:107477. [PMID: 34116140 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Neural components enabling flexible cognition and behavior are well-established, and depend mostly on proper intercommunication within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and striatum. However, dense projections from the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) alter the functioning of the medial PFC (mPFC). Dysfunctional hippocampo-prefrontal connectivity negatively affects the integrity of flexible cognition, especially in patients with schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to test the role of the vHPC and mPFC in a place avoidance task on a rotating arena using two spatial flexibility task variants - reversal learning and set-shifting. To achieve this, we inactivated each of these structures in adult male Long-Evans rats by performing bilateral local muscimol (a GABAA receptor agonist) injections. A significantly disrupted performance was observed in reversal learning in the vHPC-inactivated, but not in the mPFC-inactivated rats. These results confirm the notion that the vHPC participates in some forms of behavioral flexibility, especially when spatial cues are needed. It seems, rather unexpectedly, that the mPFC is not taxed in these flexibility tasks on a rotating arena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Cernotova
- Laboratory of the Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Ales Stuchlik
- Laboratory of the Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jan Svoboda
- Laboratory of the Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic.
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37
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Cernotova D, Stuchlik A, Svoboda J. Transient Inactivation of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Ventral Hippocampus Impairs Active Place Avoidance Retrieval on a Rotating Arena. Front Neural Circuits 2021; 15:634533. [PMID: 33994956 PMCID: PMC8113689 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2021.634533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It is well known that communication between the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and the ventral hippocampus (vHPC) is critical for various cognitive and behavioral functions. However, the exact role of these structures in spatial coordination remains to be clarified. Here we sought to determine the involvement of the mPFC and the vHPC in the spatial retrieval of a previously learned active place avoidance task in adult male Long-Evans rats, using a combination of unilateral and bilateral local muscimol inactivations. Moreover, we tested the role of the vHPC-mPFC pathway by performing combined ipsilateral and contralateral inactivations. Our results showed not only bilateral inactivations of either structure, but also the combined inactivations impaired the retrieval of spatial memory, whereas unilateral one-structure inactivations did not yield any effect. Remarkably, muscimol injections in combined groups exerted similar deficits, regardless of whether the inactivations were contralateral or ipsilateral. These findings confirm the importance of these structures in spatial cognition and emphasize the importance of the intact functioning of the vHPC-mPFC pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ales Stuchlik
- Laboratory of the Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
| | - Jan Svoboda
- Laboratory of the Neurophysiology of Memory, Institute of Physiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czechia
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38
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Le Merre P, Ährlund-Richter S, Carlén M. The mouse prefrontal cortex: Unity in diversity. Neuron 2021; 109:1925-1944. [PMID: 33894133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is considered to constitute the highest stage of neural integration and to be devoted to representation and production of actions. Studies in primates have laid the foundation for theories regarding the principles of prefrontal function and provided mechanistic insights. The recent surge of studies of the PFC in mice holds promise for evolvement of present theories and development of novel concepts, particularly regarding principles shared across mammals. Here we review recent empirical work on the mouse PFC capitalizing on the experimental toolbox currently privileged to studies in this species. We conclude that this line of research has revealed cellular and structural distinctions of the PFC and neuronal activity with direct relevance to theories regarding the functions of the PFC. We foresee that data-rich mouse studies will be key to shed light on the general prefrontal architecture and mechanisms underlying cognitive aspects of organized actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pierre Le Merre
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Marie Carlén
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institutet, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden.
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39
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Banerjee A, Rikhye RV, Marblestone A. Reinforcement-guided learning in frontal neocortex: emerging computational concepts. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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40
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Altered Activity of Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex Neurons in Mice following Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Exposure. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0503-20.2021. [PMID: 33593732 PMCID: PMC7932186 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0503-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The lateral orbitofrontal cortex (LOFC) is thought to encode information associated with consumption of rewarding substances and is essential for flexible decision-making. Indeed, firing patterns of LOFC neurons are modulated following changes in reward value associated with an action outcome relationship. Damage to the LOFC impairs behavioral flexibility in humans and is associated with suboptimal performance in reward devaluation protocols in rodents. As chronic intermittent ethanol (CIE) exposure also impairs OFC-dependent behaviors, we hypothesized that CIE exposure would alter LOFC neuronal activity during alcohol drinking, especially under conditions when the reward value of ethanol was modulated by aversive or appetitive tastants. To test this hypothesis, we monitored LOFC activity using GCaMP6f fiber photometry in mice receiving acute injections of ethanol and in those trained in operant ethanol self-administration. In naive mice, an acute injection of ethanol caused a dose-dependent decrease in the frequency but not amplitude of GCaMP6f transients. In operant studies, mice were trained on a fixed ratio one schedule of reinforcement and were then separated into CIE or Air groups. Following four cycles of CIE exposure, GCaMP6f activity was recorded during self-administration of alcohol, alcohol+quinine (aversive), or alcohol+sucrose (appetitive) solutions. LOFC neurons showed discrete patterns of activity surrounding lever presses and surrounding drinking bouts. Responding for and consumption of ethanol was greatly enhanced by CIE exposure, was aversion resistant, and was associated with signs of LOFC hyperexcitability. CIE-exposed mice also showed altered patterns of LOFC activity that varied with the ethanol solution consumed.
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41
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McCurdy LY, Sareen P, Davoudian PA, Nitabach MN. Dopaminergic mechanism underlying reward-encoding of punishment omission during reversal learning in Drosophila. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1115. [PMID: 33602917 PMCID: PMC7893153 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-21388-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals form and update learned associations between otherwise neutral sensory cues and aversive outcomes (i.e., punishment) to predict and avoid danger in changing environments. When a cue later occurs without punishment, this unexpected omission of aversive outcome is encoded as reward via activation of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons. How such activation occurs remains unknown. Using real-time in vivo functional imaging, optogenetics, behavioral analysis and synaptic reconstruction from electron microscopy data, we identify the neural circuit mechanism through which Drosophila reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons are activated when an olfactory cue is unexpectedly no longer paired with electric shock punishment. Reduced activation of punishment-encoding dopaminergic neurons relieves depression of olfactory synaptic inputs to cholinergic neurons. Synaptic excitation by these cholinergic neurons of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons increases their odor response, thus decreasing aversiveness of the odor. These studies reveal how an excitatory cholinergic relay from punishment- to reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons encodes the absence of punishment as reward, revealing a general circuit motif for updating aversive memories that could be present in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Yan McCurdy
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Preeti Sareen
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Pasha A Davoudian
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- MD/PhD Program, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michael N Nitabach
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Physiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Thonnard D, Callaerts-Vegh Z, D'Hooge R. Effects of orbitofrontal cortex and ventral hippocampus disconnection on spatial reversal learning. Neurosci Lett 2021; 750:135711. [PMID: 33571575 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.135711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural flexibility is a cognition-related function that enables subjects to adapt to a changing environment. Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and hippocampus (HC) have been involved in cognitive flexibility, but the interaction between these structures might be of particular functional significance. We applied a disconnection model in C57BL/6JRj mice to investigate the importance of OFC and ventral HC (vHC) interaction. Spatial acquisition and reversal performance in the Morris water maze (MWM) was compared between animals with small contralateral excitotoxic lesions to OFC and vHC, ipsilateral lesions (i.e., OFC-vHC lesions in the same hemisphere), as well as small bilateral OFC or vHC lesions. Spatial learning and memory performance was mostly unimpaired or only slightly impaired in our brain-lesioned animals compared to sham-lesioned control mice. However, contralaterally lesioned mice were significantly impaired during the early phase of reversal learning, whereas the other lesion groups performed similar to controls. These mice might also have experienced some difficulties using cognitively advanced search strategies. Additional non-mnemonic tests indicated that none of the defects could be reduced to motor, motivational or anxiety-related changes. Our findings support the particular role of PFC-HC interaction in advanced cognitive processes and flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Thonnard
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | | | - Rudi D'Hooge
- Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven, Belgium.
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43
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Yang Z, Wu G, Liu M, Sun X, Xu Q, Zhang C, Lei H. Dysfunction of Orbitofrontal GABAergic Interneurons Leads to Impaired Reversal Learning in a Mouse Model of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Curr Biol 2021; 31:381-393.e4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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44
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Granulocyte-Colony Stimulating Factor Reduces Cocaine-Seeking and Downregulates Glutamatergic Synaptic Proteins in Medial Prefrontal Cortex. J Neurosci 2020; 41:1553-1565. [PMID: 33361463 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1452-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychostimulant use disorder is a major public health issue, and despite the scope of the problem there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments. There would be tremendous utility in development of a treatment that could help patients both achieve and maintain abstinence. Previous work from our group has identified granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) as a neuroactive cytokine that alters behavioral response to cocaine, increases synaptic dopamine release, and enhances cognitive flexibility. Here, we investigate the role of G-CSF in affecting extinction and reinstatement of cocaine-seeking and perform detailed characterization of its proteomic effects in multiple limbic substructures. Male Sprague Dawley rats were injected with PBS or G-CSF during (1) extinction or (2) abstinence from cocaine self-administration, and drug seeking behavior was measured. Quantitative assessment of changes in the proteomic landscape in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) were performed via data-independent acquisition (DIA) mass spectrometry analysis. Administration of G-CSF during extinction accelerated the rate of extinction, and administration during abstinence attenuated cue-induced cocaine-seeking. Analysis of global protein expression demonstrated that G-CSF regulated proteins primarily in mPFC that are critical to glutamate signaling and synapse maintenance. Taken together, these findings support G-CSF as a viable translational research target with the potential to reduce drug craving or seeking behaviors. Importantly, recombinant G-CSF exists as an FDA-approved medication which may facilitate rapid clinical translation. Additionally, using cutting-edge multiregion discovery proteomics analyses, these studies identify a novel mechanism underlying G-CSF effects on behavioral plasticity.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Pharmacological treatments for psychostimulant use disorder are desperately needed, especially given the disease's chronic, relapsing nature. However, there are currently no Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved pharmacotherapies. Emerging evidence suggests that targeting the immune system may be a viable translational research strategy; preclinical studies have found that the neuroactive cytokine granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) alters cocaine reward and reinforcement and can enhance cognitive flexibility. Given this basis of evidence we studied the effects of G-CSF treatment on extinction and reinstatement of cocaine seeking. We find that administration of G-CSF accelerates extinction and reduces cue-induced drug seeking after cocaine self-administration. In addition, G-CSF leads to downregulation of synaptic glutamatergic proteins in medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), suggesting that G-CSF influences drug seeking via glutamatergic mechanisms.
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Kenton JA, Ontiveros T, Bird CW, Valenzuela CF, Brigman JL. Moderate prenatal alcohol exposure alters the number and function of GABAergic interneurons in the murine orbitofrontal cortex. Alcohol 2020; 88:33-41. [PMID: 32540413 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to alcohol during development produces Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD), characterized by a wide range of effects that include deficits in multiple cognitive domains. Early identification and treatment of individuals with FASD remain a challenge because neurobehavioral alterations do not become a significant problem until late childhood and early adolescence. Understanding the mechanisms underlying low and moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) effects on behavior and cognition is essential for improved diagnosis and treatment. Here, we examined the functional and morphological changes in an area known to be involved in executive control, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We found that a moderate PAE model, previously shown to impair behavioral flexibility and to alter OFC activity in vivo, produced moderate functional and morphological changes within the OFC of mice in vitro. Specifically, slice electrophysiological recordings of spontaneous inhibitory post-synaptic currents in OFC pyramidal neurons revealed a significant increase in the amplitude and area in PAE mice relative to controls. Immunohistochemistry uncovered an increase in calretinin-, but not somatostatin- or parvalbumin-expressing cortical interneurons in the OFC of PAE mice. Together, these data suggest that moderate prenatal alcohol exposure alters the disinhibitory function in the OFC, which may contribute to the executive function deficits associated with FASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnny A Kenton
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Tiahna Ontiveros
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Clark W Bird
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - C Fernando Valenzuela
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, University of New Mexico HSC, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States
| | - Jonathan L Brigman
- Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States; New Mexico Alcohol Research Center, University of New Mexico HSC, Albuquerque, NM 87131, United States.
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Prefrontal regulation of behavioural control: Evidence from learning theory and translational approaches in rodents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:27-41. [PMID: 32707346 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Everyday activities require adaptive decision-making and control over our actions to achieve our goals. Sub-regions within the cortex are widely reported to regulate these choices. Here we review rodent studies from two disparate fields of instrumental action control - goal-directed and habitual responding, and impulsive and compulsive behaviour. Our aim was to compare findings across the spectrum, from precision associative learning to translational studies of action control. The evidence suggests that each cortical sub-region performs different roles depending on task requirements and, within tasks, clear dissociations exist between regions. Rather than synthesizing a single role or function for a given region, we should consider regions to be capable of many different functions. Further investigation of cortico-cortical connections and the pattern of input and output circuitry within each region may be needed to identify unique process-specific pathways. Despite differences in the scope and purpose of these two fields, integrating evidence across tasks provides a broader context for testing hypotheses about the role of cortical regions in adaptive actions and decision-making.
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Keeley RJ, Hsu LM, Brynildsen JK, Lu H, Yang Y, Stein EA. Intrinsic differences in insular circuits moderate the negative association between nicotine dependence and cingulate-striatal connectivity strength. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1042-1049. [PMID: 32053829 PMCID: PMC7162949 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0635-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The development of brain-based biomarkers to assess nicotine dependence severity and treatment efficacy are essential to improve the current marginally effective treatment outcomes. Cross-sectional resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) studies in humans identified a circuit between the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex and the ventral striatum that negatively correlated with increased nicotine dependence severity but was unaffected by acute nicotine administration, suggesting a trait marker of addiction. However, whether this trait circuit dysregulation is predispositional to or resultant from nicotine dependence is unclear. Using a rat model of nicotine dependence with longitudinal fMRI measurements, we assessed the relationship between ACC-striatal rsFC and nicotine dependence severity. Data-driven modularity-based parcellation of the rat medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) combined with seed-based connectivity analysis with the striatum recapitulated the cingulate-striatum relationship observed in humans. Furthermore, the relationship between cingulate-striatal brain circuits and nicotine dependence severity as indexed by the intensity of precipitated withdrawal, was fully statistically moderated by a predispositional insular-frontal cortical functional circuit. These data suggest that the identified trans-species ACC-striatal circuit relationship with nicotine dependence severity is dysregulated following chronic nicotine administration-induced dependence and may be biased by individual differences in predispositional insula-based striatal-frontal circuits, highlighting the circuit's potential as a biomarker of dependence severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Keeley
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Li-Ming Hsu
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Radiology and BRIC, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 130 Mason Farm Rd, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Julia K Brynildsen
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3400 Civic Center Blvd, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
| | - Hanbing Lu
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yihong Yang
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Elliot A Stein
- Neuroimaging Research Branch, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, 251 Bayview Blvd, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
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Nass SR, Hahn YK, McLane VD, Varshneya NB, Damaj MI, Knapp PE, Hauser KF. Chronic HIV-1 Tat exposure alters anterior cingulate cortico-basal ganglia-thalamocortical synaptic circuitry, associated behavioral control, and immune regulation in male mice. Brain Behav Immun Health 2020; 5:100077. [PMID: 33083793 PMCID: PMC7571616 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV-1 selectively disrupts neuronal integrity within specific brain regions, reflecting differences in viral tropism and/or the regional differences in the vulnerability of distinct neuronal subpopulations within the CNS. Deficits in prefrontal cortex (PFC)-mediated executive function and the resultant loss of behavioral control are a particularly debilitating consequence of neuroHIV. To explore how HIV-1 disrupts executive function, we investigated the effects of 48 h, 2 and/or 8 weeks of HIV-1 Tat exposure on behavioral control, synaptic connectivity, and neuroimmune function in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and associated cortico-basal ganglia (BG)-thalamocortical circuitry in adult, Tat transgenic male mice. HIV-1 Tat exposure increased novelty-exploration in response to novel food, flavor, and environmental stimuli, suggesting that Tat triggers increased novelty-exploration in situations of competing motivation (e.g., drive to feed or explore vs. fear of novel, brightly lit open areas). Furthermore, Tat induced adaptability in response to an environmental stressor and pre-attentive filtering deficits. The behavioral insufficiencies coincided with decreases in the inhibitory pre- and post-synaptic proteins, synaptotagmin 2 and gephyrin, respectively, in the ACC, and alterations in specific pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines out of 23 assayed. The interaction of Tat exposure and the resultant time-dependent, selective alterations in CCL4, CXCL1, IL-12p40, and IL-17A levels in the PFC predicted significant decreases in adaptability. Tat decreased dendritic spine density and cortical VGLUT1 inputs, while increasing IL-1β, IL-6, CCL5, and CCL11 in the striatum. Alternatively, IL-1α, CCL5, and IL-13 were decreased in the mediodorsal thalamus despite the absence of synaptic changes. Thus, HIV-1 Tat appears to uniquely and systematically disrupt immune regulation and the inhibitory and excitatory synaptic balance throughout the ACC-BG-thalamocortical circuitry resulting in a loss of behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R. Nass
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Yun K. Hahn
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, P.O. Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
| | - Virginia D. McLane
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Neil B. Varshneya
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - M. Imad Damaj
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
| | - Pamela E. Knapp
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, P.O. Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, P.O. Box 980059, Richmond, VA, 23298-0059, USA
| | - Kurt F. Hauser
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, Richmond, P.O. Box 980613, VA, 23298-0613, USA
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, P.O. Box 980709, Richmond, VA, 23298-0709, USA
- Institute for Drug and Alcohol Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Medical College of Virginia (MCV) Campus, P.O. Box 980059, Richmond, VA, 23298-0059, USA
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Jeong H, Kim D, Song M, Paik SB, Jung MW. Distinct roles of parvalbumin- and somatostatin-expressing neurons in flexible representation of task variables in the prefrontal cortex. Prog Neurobiol 2020; 187:101773. [PMID: 32070716 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A hallmark of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is flexible representation of task-relevant variables. To investigate roles of different interneuron subtypes in this process, we examined discharge characteristics and inactivation effects of parvalbumin (PV)- and somatostatin (SST)-expressing neurons in the mouse PFC during probabilistic classical conditioning. We found activity patterns and inactivation effects differed between PV and SST neurons: SST neurons conveyed cue-associated quantitative value signals until trial outcome, whereas PV neurons maintained valence signals even after trial outcome. Also, PV, but not SST, neuronal population showed opposite responses to reward and punishment. Moreover, inactivation of PV, but not SST, neurons affected outcome responses and activity reversal of pyramidal neurons. Modeling suggested opposite responses of PV neurons to reward and punishment as an efficient mechanism for facilitating rapid cue-outcome contingency learning. Our results suggest primary roles of mPFC PV neurons in rapid value updating and SST neurons in predicting values of upcoming events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijeong Jeong
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Dohoung Kim
- Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Song
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Se-Bum Paik
- Program of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea
| | - Min Whan Jung
- Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea; Center for Synaptic Brain Dysfunctions, Institute for Basic Science, Daejeon, 34141, Republic of Korea.
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50
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Festa LK, Irollo E, Platt BJ, Tian Y, Floresco S, Meucci O. CXCL12-induced rescue of cortical dendritic spines and cognitive flexibility. eLife 2020; 9:e49717. [PMID: 31971513 PMCID: PMC7007222 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Synaptodendritic pruning is a common cause of cognitive decline in neurological disorders, including HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). HAND persists in treated patients as a result of chronic inflammation and low-level expression of viral proteins, though the mechanisms involved in synaptic damage are unclear. Here, we report that the chemokine CXCL12 recoups both cognitive performance and synaptodendritic health in a rodent model of HAND, which recapitulates the neuroinflammatory state of virally controlled individuals and the associated structural/functional deficiencies. CXCL12 preferentially regulates plastic thin spines on layer II/III pyramidal neurons of the medial prefrontal cortex via CXCR4-dependent stimulation of the Rac1/PAK actin polymerization pathway, leading to increased spine density and improved flexible behavior. Our studies unveil a critical role of CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling in spine dynamics and cognitive flexibility, suggesting that HAND - or other diseases driven by spine loss - may be reversible and upturned by targeting Rac1-dependent processes in cortical neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay K Festa
- Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center of Neuroimmunology and CNS Therapeutics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseasesDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Elena Irollo
- Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Brian J Platt
- Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Yuzen Tian
- Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
| | - Stan Floresco
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverCanada
| | - Olimpia Meucci
- Department of Pharmacology and PhysiologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center of Neuroimmunology and CNS Therapeutics, Institute of Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseasesDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Microbiology and ImmunologyDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaUnited States
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