Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Nima Khalighinejad, Sanjay Manohar, Masud Husain, Matthew F. S. Rushworth
Summary: Decision-making involves choosing actions, as well as determining when and whether to initiate them. Different brain regions, such as DRN, BF, and ACC, contribute to different stages of decision-making, with 5-HT and ACh playing complementary roles.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Ross A. McDevitt, Rosa Anna M. Marino, Hugo A. Tejeda, Antonello Bonci
Summary: Serotonin plays a crucial role in cue-reward learning in mice, as serotonin reuptake inhibitors can reduce lever pressing behavior, and alterations in serotonin levels in different brain regions can impact behavioral responses.
PHARMACOLOGY BIOCHEMISTRY AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Physiology
Toshiyuki Fujita, Naoya Aoki, Chihiro Mori, Eiko Fujita, Toshiya Matsushima, Koichi J. Homma, Shinji Yamaguchi
Summary: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that plays an important role in regulating mental states and processing emotions in mammals. This study conducted a molecular dissection of serotonergic neurons in the brainstem of birds and found heterogeneity among these neurons. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the correspondence between bird and mammalian serotonergic neurons.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Amina Benhadda, Celia Delhaye, Imane Moutkine, Xavier Marques, Marion Russeau, Corentin Le Magueresse, Anne Roumier, Sabine Levi, Luc Maroteaux
Summary: Many psychiatric diseases are associated with dysfunction of serotonin (5-HT) neurons. This study shows that 5-HT1A and 5-HT2B receptors can form heterodimers and co-cluster at the plasma membrane of dendrites. Stimulation of these receptors prevents 5-HT1A receptor internalization and increases 5-HT2B receptor membrane clustering, regulating the excitability of serotonergic neurons.
Article
Neurosciences
Ao Li, Rui Li, Pengrong Ouyang, Huihui Li, Sa Wang, Xinxin Zhang, Dan Wang, Mingzi Ran, Guangchao Zhao, Qianzi Yang, Zhenghua Zhu, Hailong Dong, Haopeng Zhang
Summary: The dorsal raphe nucleus serotonergic neurons play a regulatory role in general anesthesia, as activation can facilitate emergence from anesthesia partly through 5-HT 1A and 2C receptors. By assessing neuronal activities, researchers found that Fos expression and calcium activity are significantly decreased during general anesthesia.
CNS NEUROSCIENCE & THERAPEUTICS
(2021)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Aitziber Mendiguren, Erik Aostri, Elena Alberdi, Alberto Perez-Samartin, Joseba Pineda
Summary: Cannabidiol (CBD) found in cannabis has various pharmacological effects through the 5-HT1A receptor. This study reveals that CBD does not activate the 5-HT1A autoreceptor, but it reduces the inhibitory effects of selective 5-HT1A receptor agonists on the firing activity of DRN 5-HT cells.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Iltan Aklan, Nilufer Sayar-Atasoy, Fei Deng, Hyojin Kim, Yavuz Yavuz, Jacob Rysted, Connor Laule, Debbie Davis, Yulong Li, Deniz Atasoy
Summary: This study investigated the role of downstream neural circuits of serotonergic neurons in regulating feeding in rats. Using optogenetics and other methods, the researchers found that these circuits interact with satiety hormones, revealing the regulatory mechanisms of these hormones.
MOLECULAR METABOLISM
(2023)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Nirupa Goel, Tristan J. Philippe, Judy Chang, Maya E. Koblanski, Victor Viau
Summary: Both male and female rats show declines in HPA axis responses to repeated exposure, with similar patterns of cellular habituation. However, sex differences may arise from varying responses in serotonergic control, particularly through 5-HT 1 A receptors mediating serotonin availability and signal transfer.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Johan Alsio, Olivia Lehmann, Colin McKenzie, David E. Theobald, Lydia Searle, Jing Xia, Jeffrey W. Dalley, Trevor W. Robbins
Summary: Across-species studies have found an evolutionarily conserved role for serotonin in flexible behavior, including reversal learning. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of serotonin in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to visual discrimination and reversal learning. The findings revealed differential effects of serotonin within the two prefrontal cortex subregions on cognitive flexibility during visual discrimination and reversal learning.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jennyfer M. Payet, Kira-Elise Wilson, Adrian M. Russo, Anthony Angiolino, William Kavanagh-Ryan, Stephen Kent, Christopher A. Lowry, Matthew W. Hale
Summary: This study examined the involvement of serotonergic systems in social behavior and response to SSRI treatment in peri-adolescent female BALB/c mice. The results showed that chronic fluoxetine treatment led to social approach behavior comparable to controls, while acute fluoxetine treatment increased avoidance behavior. Activation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus correlated with social approach behavior. More research is needed to understand the effects and mechanisms of chronic SSRI treatment in females.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Arnauld Belmer, Ronan Depoortere, Kate Beecher, Adrian Newman-Tancredi, Selena E. Bartlett
Summary: This study demonstrates that stimulating the 5-HT1A receptor can reduce ethanol binge-drinking behavior and withdrawal-induced anxiety. Using a combination of pharmacological and chemogenetic approaches, the researchers identified the involvement of 5-HT1A autoreceptors and 5-HT neuronal function in regulating ethanol intake. They also discovered a serotonergic microcircuit originating from the MRN and projecting to the DG that specifically affects and modulates long-term ethanol consumption.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Tomonobu Kato, Yasue Mitsukura, Keitaro Yoshida, Masaru Mimura, Norio Takata, Kenji F. Tanaka
Summary: Dorsal raphe (DR) 5-HT neurons play a crucial role in regulating sleep-wake transitions. The activity of these neurons fluctuates during the sleep-wake cycle, with slow oscillatory signals during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and cessation during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The oscillatory activity of DR 5-HT neurons is associated with EEG power fluctuation, and optogenetic manipulation of these neurons can induce or prolong specific sleep states.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Immunology
Kanza M. Khan, Gabrielle Bierlein-De La Rosa, Natalie Biggerstaff, Govindhasamy Pushpavathi Selvakumar, Ruixiang Wang, Suzanne Mason, Michael E. Dailey, Catherine A. Marcinkiewcz
Summary: Adolescent alcohol use can permanently alter brain function and lead to poor health outcomes in adulthood. Emerging evidence suggests that alcohol use can predispose individuals to pain disorders or exacerbate existing pain conditions, but the underlying neural mechanisms are currently unknown.
BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sen Li, Ikuo Otsuka, Takaki Tanifuji, Satoshi Okazaki, Tadasu Horai, Motonori Takahashi, Takeshi Kondo, Yasuhiro Ueno, Akitoyo Hishimoto
Summary: Previous evidence has shown increased ribosomal DNA (rDNA) content in the blood of patients with schizophrenia (SCZ) among European populations. This study investigated rDNA copy number (rDNAcn) of SCZ in East Asian populations, as well as in blood and brain tissues. The results showed that patients with SCZ had significantly increased rDNAcn in both blood and brain tissues compared to controls. These findings replicate previous observations in Europeans and provide new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying SCZ pathophysiology.
Review
Psychiatry
Michael V. Baratta, Martin E. P. Seligman, Steven F. Maier
Summary: Learned helplessness refers to the debilitating consequences that follow an uncontrollable adverse event, but not when the event is controllable. Recent research suggests that prolonged exposure to aversive stimulation activates serotonergic neurons in the brainstem and produces this debilitation. However, an instrumental controlling response can prevent debilitation by activating prefrontal circuitry and altering the response to future adverse events, thereby promoting long-term resilience.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Correction
Neurosciences
Diego A. Pizzagalli, Angela C. Roberts
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Diego A. Pizzagalli, Angela C. Roberts
Summary: Dissecting depressive phenotypes into biologically more tractable dimensions provides an opportunity to integrate clinical findings with mechanistic evidence from preclinical models, promising to enhance our understanding of major depressive disorder.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Neurosciences
Laith Alexander, Christian M. Wood, Angela C. Roberts
Summary: Neuroimaging studies suggest the involvement of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex in emotional and cognitive functions, particularly in relation to depression. Recent research in marmosets reveals that over-activation of the caudal subcallosal region of the vmPFC may lead to heightened reactivity to negative stimuli and reduced responsiveness to positive stimuli, similar to states seen in depressed patients. Understanding these cross-species differences is crucial for advancing knowledge on the role of the vmPFC in depression etiology and treatment.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Katharina Zuhlsdorff, Jeffrey W. Dalley, Trevor W. Robbins, Sharon Morein-Zamir
Summary: Behavioral and cognitive flexibility enable individuals to adapt to a changing environment. This study introduces a novel "change your mind task" to assess volitional switching under uncertainty, without the need for rule-based learning. The findings suggest that individuals are more likely to change their response when the feedback is negative or when their initial response is incorrect.
Article
Neurosciences
Nana Feng, Lena Palaniyappan, Trevor W. Robbins, Luolong Cao, Shuanfeng Fang, Xingwei Luo, Xiang Wang, Qiang Luo
Summary: Impaired working memory (WM) is a core dysfunction in schizophrenia, characterized by deficits in both attention and WM processing. Patients show linear modulation of brain activation in frontoparietal and dorsal attention networks, while controls exhibit an inverted U-shaped response pattern in the left anterior cingulate cortex. These modulation effects are associated with gene expressions related to the dopamine neurotransmitter system.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Jonathan W. Kanen, Qiang Luo, Mojtaba Rostami Kandroodi, Rudolf N. Cardinal, Trevor W. Robbins, David J. Nutt, Robin L. Carhart-Harris, Hanneke E. M. den Ouden
Summary: The study aimed to investigate how LSD affects probabilistic reversal learning in healthy individuals. The results showed that LSD increased the reward and punishment learning rates, decreased stimulus stickiness, and induced a state of heightened plasticity.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Olivia Stupart, Trevor W. Robbins, Jeffrey W. Dalley
Summary: The meta-analysis showed that unconditioned tasks are generally poor at consistently demonstrating differences between control and separated groups in rats, indicating the need for more objective tasks in translational research on stress-related disorders.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Roxanne W. Hook, Masanori Isobe, George Savulich, Jon E. Grant, Konstantinos Ioannidis, David Christmas, Barbara J. Sahakian, Trevor W. Robbins, Samuel R. Chamberlain
Summary: This study found that single-dose istradefylline can impact human cognition, particularly in the social information preference task with emotional loading. This indicates the under-studied role of the adenosine neurochemical system in human cognition, which requires further exploration.
EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Christian M. Wood, Laith Alexander, Johan Alsio, Andrea M. Santangelo, Lauren McIver, Gemma J. Cockcroft, Angela C. Roberts
Summary: Poor outcomes are common in anxiety and depression, thus understanding the neural circuits underlying symptoms and treatment responses is important. By using a chemogenetics strategy involving designer receptors and drugs, the scACC-25 neural circuits related to anhedonia and anxiety in marmosets were identified. Targeting these circuits with the fast-acting antidepressant ketamine may lead to new treatment strategies.
SCIENCE TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Michal M. Graczyk, Barbara J. Sahakian, Trevor W. Robbins, Karen D. Ersche
Summary: Not everyone who uses drugs loses control over their intake, which is a hallmark of addiction. Although familial risk studies suggest significant addiction heritability, the genetic basis of vulnerability to drug addiction remains largely unknown. In this study, the researchers examined the relationship between self-control, cocaine use, and a specific gene variant (rs36024) associated with the noradrenaline transporter gene. They found that individuals carrying the C-allele of this gene exhibited impaired self-control, particularly in the context of chronic cocaine use. Patients with cocaine use disorder who had the CC genotype showed longer stop-signal reaction time and fewer successful stops compared to healthy controls and patients with the TT genotype. These findings suggest that rs36024 may be a potential genetic vulnerability marker for cocaine addiction.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Biographical-Item
Neurosciences
Barbara J. Sahakian, Eileen M. Joyce, Trevor W. Robbins
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nace Mikus, Christoph Eisenegger, Christoph Mathys, Luke Clark, Ulrich Mueller, Trevor W. Robbins, Claus Lamm, Michael Naef
Summary: The study investigates the impact of the D2/D3 dopamine receptor antagonist sulpiride on learning about other people's prosocial attitudes. The results show that sulpiride increases the volatility of beliefs, leading to higher precision weights on prediction errors. This effect is more significant in participants with genetically conferred higher dopamine availability and remains even after controlling for working memory performance. The findings demonstrate the importance of D2 receptors in regulating belief updating in a social context.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Shitong Xiang, Tianye Jia, Chao Xie, Zhichao Zhu, Wei Cheng, Gunter Schumann, Trevor W. Robbins, Jianfeng Feng
Summary: How to retrieve latent neurobehavioural processes from complex neurobiological signals is a challenge that has not been fully addressed. This study presents a novel approach, DeCoP, that outperforms traditional decoding methods in terms of false inference and robustness. The research reveals distinct evaluation and readiness processes during reward/punishment anticipation, modulated by different dopamine systems. Only a few brain regions encode exact input information, while others encode abstract information.
Article
Psychology, Experimental
Amy Rachel Bland, Jonathan Paul Roiser, Mitul Ashok Mehta, Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Trevor William Robbins, Rebecca Elliott
Summary: The study found that COVID-19 social isolation has an impact on emotional and social cognitive function, with reduced contact with friends, smaller household size, and changes in communication methods leading to a decrease in positive bias in emotion recognition and attention to emotional faces. Conversely, increased contact with friends and family during social isolation was associated with greater cooperative behavior.
COGNITION & EMOTION
(2022)
