Article
Psychology, Biological
Marcia C. Chavez, Maria Ragusa, Kayla Brooks, Chakeer Drake-Frazier, Isabella Ramos, Megan Zajkowski, Kalynn M. Schulz
Summary: The study found that prenatal and adolescent stress have different effects on fear memory, with no cumulative effects observed in males and females.
PHYSIOLOGY & BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Lia P. Iglesias, Heliana B. Fernandes, Aline S. de Miranda, Malena M. Perez, Lucia H. Faccioli, Carlos A. Sorgi, Leandro J. Bertoglio, Daniele C. Aguiar, Carsten T. Wotjak, Fabricio A. Moreira
Summary: This study found that hippocampal TRPV1 channels play a role in the modulation of fear memories. Endocannabinoid signaling may mediate the effects of TRPV1 blockers. The intensity of the aversive stimulus affects the regulation of fear memories by TRPV1 channels. TRPV1 blockers also promote the transcription of specific genes, leading to a decrease in fear memory reinstatement.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xinhao Wang, Yize Zhao, Xiaorui Shi, Miao Gong, Ying Hao, Yaling Fu, Omar Israel Velez de-la-Paz, Xi Wang, Yuru Du, Xiangfei Guo, Li Song, Li Meng, Yuan Gao, Xi Yin, Sheng Wang, Yun Shi, Haishui Shi
Summary: This study found that the administration of exogenous SO2 derivatives has an effect on the formation of contextual fear memory, but no effect on reconsolidation and retention. This provides evidence for the development of new strategies for PTSD prevention and treatment.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Sean M. Mooney-Leber, Dana Zeid, Prescilla Garcia-Trevizo, Laurel R. Seemiller, Molly A. Bogue, Stephen C. Grubb, Gary Peltz, Thomas J. Gould
Summary: The study found a significant relationship between acetylcholine activity in the dorsal hippocampus and learning capabilities, with levels of acetylcholinesterase varying among inbred mouse strains. There were differences in contextual and cued fear conditioning across different strains, and the dorsal hippocampus was found to be functionally distinct from the ventral hippocampus in relation to fear conditioning outcomes.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Christine Stubbendorff, Carl W. Stevenson
Summary: Research has shown that dopamine plays a crucial role in regulating various contextual fear processes, although the related neurochemical mechanisms are still not fully understood. Understanding how dopamine regulates contextual fear can provide novel insights into the neurochemical modulation of neural circuit function underlying memory processing.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
L. R. Seemiller, T. J. Gould
Summary: Genetic background plays a role in determining the effect of ethanol and MK-801 on learning outcomes, with adult mice and male adolescents being more susceptible to ethanol, while MK-801 has a greater impact on contextual learning. Additionally, age, sex, and genetic background interact to influence learning impairments after exposure to ethanol or MK-801.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Shunya Yagi, Amanda Lee, Nadine Truter, Liisa A. M. Galea
Summary: From the results of the study, it can be seen that females showed significant sex differences compared to males in context discrimination. Although fear memory was similar between the two sexes, there were differences in activation patterns in different neural regions, with females showing more negative correlations and activation. These findings highlight the importance of studying sex differences in fear memory and the contribution of adult neurogenesis to the neuronal network.
BIOLOGY OF SEX DIFFERENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Briana Renda, Allyson K. Andrade, Adiia P. S. Stone, Rita El Azali, Michael Sharivker, Jibran Y. Khokhar, Monica Antenos, Jennifer E. Murray
Summary: This study assessed the long-term impact of adolescent high-dose nicotine and/or footshock exposure on adult nicotine self-administration, anxiety-like behavior, and hormonal responsivity. Results showed that intermittent adolescent nicotine or footshock alone did not potentiate adult nicotine intake, but the combination of nicotine and footshock stressors had a synergistic effect on adult nicotine consumption.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Iulia Zoicas, Johannes Kornhuber
Summary: Acid sphingomyelinase (ASM) regulates fear learning and the expression of contextual fear in a sex-specific manner, but does not affect the expression of cued fear.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Stuart A. Williams, Miriam Gwilt, Rebecca Hock, Charlotte Taylor, Joanna Loayza, Carl W. Stevenson, Helen J. Cassaday, Tobias Bast
Summary: The neural disinhibition in the hippocampus disrupts fear conditioning and salience modulation, which are impaired in schizophrenia. This may be attributed to the disruption in neural processing within the hippocampus and its projection sites.
Article
Neurosciences
Anabel M. M. Miguelez Fernandez, Hanna M. Molla, Daniel R. Thomases, Kuei Y. Tseng
Summary: The study shows that disruption of prefrontal cortex (PFC) alpha 7nAChR signaling impacts hippocampal and amygdalar transmission, with significant effects observed in adult rats. Prefrontal infusion of MLA affects trace fear-conditioning and extinction in an age-dependent manner, potentially due to the late-adolescent maturation of ventral hippocampal-PFC functional connectivity and its modulation by alpha 7nAChR signaling.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
William D. Marks, Jun Yokose, Takashi Kitamura, Sachie K. Ogawa
Summary: Contextual learning is crucial for episodic memory and adapting to different environments. This article reviews the behavioral foundations, neural centers, and physiological processes involved in contextual memory. It discusses the role of ensemble activity, remapping, pattern separation, and completion in processing contextual information, and explores the potential contribution of the engram assembly to contextual memory.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sarayut Phasuk, Peeraporn Varinthra, Andaman Nitjapol, Korakod Bandasak, Ingrid Y. Liu
Summary: Research suggests that PRDX6 levels are downregulated in response to acute stress, impacting memory performance, and Prdx6(-/-) mice exhibit increased anxiety behavior and memory deficits under stress.
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Wouter R. Cox, Leonidas Faliagkas, Amber Besseling, Rolinka J. van der Loo, Sabine Spijker, Merel Kindt, Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying post-reactivation changes in contextual fear memories in mice. However, results showed that neither propranolol nor anisomycin were effective in interfering with reactivated fear memories, indicating the elusive nature of reactivation-dependent changes in non-human fear memory.
FRONTIERS IN BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Ana Karla Oliveira Leite, Clarissa Penha Farias, Bianca Estefani Schmidt, Lucas Teixeira, Alessandra Schmitt Rieder, Cristiane R. G. Furini, Angela T. S. Wyse
Summary: This study investigated the effects of acute strength exercise on memory consolidation and found that exercise can promote the consolidation of weak memory. This effect is dependent on the activation of NMDA-receptors, and exercise also modulates the overexpression of BDNF and synapsin I through the activation of NMDA-receptors.
Review
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Aditi Bhargava, Arthur P. Arnold, Debra A. Bangasser, Kate M. Denton, Arpana Gupta, Lucinda M. Hilliard Krause, Emeran A. Mayer, Margaret McCarthy, Walter L. Miller, Armin Raznahan, Ragini Verma
Summary: The NIH announced in 2014 that applicants for research funding must consider sex as a biological variable. Despite efforts to include both sexes in research plans, confusion remains among researchers and reviewers about sex differences. Gender and sex are often used interchangeably, and the gender of the researcher may impact the outcomes of studies, particularly in behavioral research.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, Charlotte C. Bavley, Andre U. Deutschmann, Rachel Carpenter, Drew R. Peterson, Reza Karbalaei, James Flowers, Charleanne M. Rogers, Miranda G. Langrehr, Cory S. Ardekani, Sydney T. Famularo, Angela R. Bongiovanni, Melissa C. Knouse, Stan B. Floresco, Lisa A. Briand, Mathieu E. Wimmer, Debra A. Bangasser
Summary: This study investigated the stress inoculation effect of early adversity using the LBN model, focusing on addiction-related phenotypes in adulthood. Results showed that LBN reduced impulsive choice, morphine self-administration, and AMPA/NMDA ratio in males, indicating a male-specific stress inoculation effect against addiction-related behaviors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Debra A. Bangasser, Amelia Cuarenta
Summary: Male-dominated preclinical studies on anxiety and depression are being addressed to include females, leading to the discovery of new mechanisms and treatment targets. Epidemiological sex differences in these disorders are well-known, but the underlying circuits and mechanisms contributing to these differences still lack attention due to historical exclusion of females in research. Comparing the sexes may help in the discovery of novel therapeutics.
NATURE REVIEWS NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Samantha R. Eck, Jamie L. Palmer, Charlotte C. Bavley, Reza Karbalaei, Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, James Flowers, Amanda Holley, Mathieu E. Wimmer, Debra A. Bangasser
Summary: Early life adversity, such as limited access to resources, can alter reproductive development and behavior in rats. Male rats raised in a low resource environment showed elevated levels of plasma estradiol and acquired reproductive behaviors faster than control males. There was no effect of limited bedding/nesting (LBN) on puberty onset or masculinization of certain brain regions. RNA sequencing revealed sex-specific alterations in gene expression in the medial preoptic area (mPOA), which is involved in male reproductive behaviors, with many transcripts regulated by estradiol. Pathway analysis showed changes in neurosignaling and immune signaling in males and females, respectively. These findings uncover new neurobiological mechanisms by which early life adversity affects reproductive strategies.
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Psychiatry
Jamie L. Hanson, Alexia Williams, Debra A. Bangasser, Catherine J. Pena
Summary: Early life stress increases the risk of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders throughout one's lifetime, mainly through changes in motivation and reward processing in the reward circuit. Research indicates that early life stress impacts the structure and function of the reward circuit.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, Debra A. Bangasser
Summary: Impulsivity is a common symptom in various psychiatric disorders, and early life stress has been found to affect impulsive behaviors and brain circuits associated with impulsivity, which is essential for developing treatments aimed at reducing impulsivity symptoms in psychiatric disorders.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Alexia Williams, James Flowers, Kennedy S. Coates, Atiba Ingram, Alexandra T. Hehn, Molly Dupuis, Mathieu E. Wimmer, Marco Venniro, Debra A. Bangasser
Summary: This study used the limited bedding and nesting (LBN) procedure to investigate the impact of early resource scarcity on motivation for natural rewards in rats. The results showed that the effects of LBN on motivation for natural rewards were both sex- and reinforcer-dependent, with males showing increased motivation for both food and social rewards, while females showed reduced motivation for food rewards but no effect on social rewards.
PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Samantha R. Eck, Nikolaos Kokras, Brittany Wicks, Petros Baltimas, Arron Hall, Nina van Bendegem, Madeleine Salvatore, Sarah R. Cohen, Joy Bergmann, Attilio Ceretti, Vinay Parikh, Christina Dalla, Debra A. Bangasser
Summary: This study suggests that stress-induced attention deficits may be related to CRF regulation of cholinergic and non-cholinergic signaling, and CRF in the NBM leads to a decrease in taurine and several amino acids involved in glutamate synthesis.
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Vinay Parikh, Alyssa Kniffin, Charlotte Bavley, Miranda Targum, Joanna Severino, James Flowers, Debra Bangasser, Mathieu Wimmer
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Amelia Cuarenta, Reza Karbalaei, James Flowers, Alexandra Hehn, Molly Dupuis, Atiba Ingram, Claire Deckers, Sydney Roth, Sydney Famularo, Mathieu Wimmer, Debra Bangasser
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, Charlotte C. Bavley, Andre U. Deutschmann, Rachel Carpenter, Drew R. Peterson, Reza Karbalaei, James Flowers, Charleanne M. Rogers, Miranda G. Langrehr, Cory S. Ardekani, Sydney T. Famularo, Angela R. Bongiovanni, Melissa C. Knouse, Stan B. Floresco, Lisa A. Briand, Mathieu E. Wimmer, Debra A. Bangasser
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, Charlotte Bavley, Reza Karbalaei, James Flowers, Angela Bongiovanni, Alessandro Jean-Louis, Atiba Ingram, Cori Petersen, Dieuseul Joseph, Stan Floresco, Mathieu Wimmer, Debra Bangasser
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Alexia Williams, Charlotte Bavley, Reza Karbalaei, Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, James Flowers, Kennedy Coates, Atiba Ingram, Benjamin Garcia, Deena Walker, Mathieu Wimmer, Debra Bangasser
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Debra Bangasser
NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Meeting Abstract
Neurosciences
Debra Bangasser, Evelyn Ordones Sanchez, Charlotte Bavley, Andre Deutschmann, Drew Peterson, Rachel Carpenter, Reza Karbalaei, James Flowers, Charleanne Rogers, Miranda Langrehr, Cory Ardekani, Sydney Famularo, Angela Bongiovanni, Melissa Knouse, Stan Floresco, Benjamin Garcia, Lisa Briand, Mathieu Wimmer
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
