scholarly journals Electroacupuncture Alleviates Pain-Related Emotion by Upregulating the Expression of NPS and Its Receptor NPSR in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Hypothalamus

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Zitong Xu ◽  
JunFan Fang ◽  
Xuaner Xiang ◽  
HaiJu Sun ◽  
SiSi Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Emotional Behavior ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Place Aversion ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Peptide System ◽  
Affective Pain

Objective. Electroacupuncture (EA) is reported effective in alleviating pain-related emotion; however, the underlying mechanism of its effects still needs to be elucidated. The NPS-NPSR system has been validated for the involvement in the modulation of analgesia and emotional behavior. Here, we aimed to investigate the role of the NPS-NPSR system in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), hypothalamus, and central amygdala (CeA) in the use of EA to relieve affective pain modeled by complete Freund’s adjuvant- (CFA-) evoked conditioned place aversion (C-CPA). Materials and Methods. CFA injection combined with a CPA paradigm was introduced to establish the C-CPA model, and the elevated O-maze (EOM) was used to test the behavioral changes after model establishment. We further explored the expression of NPS and NPSR at the protein and gene levels in the brain regions of interest by immunofluorescence staining and quantitative real-time PCR. Results. We observed that EA stimulation delivered to the bilateral Zusanli (ST36) and Kunlun (BL60) acupoints remarkably inhibited sensory pain, pain-evoked place aversion, and anxiety-like behavior. The current study showed that EA significantly enhanced the protein expression of this peptide system in the ACC and hypothalamus, while the elevated expression of NPSR protein alone was just confined to the affected side in the CeA. Moreover, EA remarkably upregulated the mRNA expression of NPS in CeA, ACC, and hypothalamus and NPSR mRNA in the hypothalamus and CeA. Conclusions. These data suggest the effectiveness of EA in alleviating affective pain, and these benefits may at least partially be attributable to the upregulation of the NPS-NPSR system in the ACC and hypothalamus.

P.185 Nx4 influences stress-induced activity of the anterior cingulate cortex and associated brain regions

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. S141-S142
Author(s):  
L. Herrmann ◽  
V. Kasties ◽  
Y. Fan ◽  
L. Danyeli ◽  
T. Tar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate

scholarly journals Framing and Self-Responsibility Modulate Brain Activities in Decision Escalation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ting-Peng Liang ◽  
Yuwen Li ◽  
Nai-Shing Yen ◽  
Ofir Turel ◽  
Sen-Mou Hsu
Keyword(s):  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Inferior Frontal Gyrus ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Imaging Data ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
Human Decision

Abstract Background: Escalation of commitment is a common bias in human decision making. The present study examined (1) differences in neural recruitment for escalation and de-escalation decisions of prior investments, and (2) how the activations of these brain networks are modulated by two factors that are often argued to modulate the behavior: (i) self-responsibility, and (ii) framing of the success probabilities. Results: Imaging data were obtained from functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) applied to 29 participants. A whole-brain analysis was conducted to compare brain activations between conditions. ROI analysis, then, was used to examine if these significant activations were modulated by two contextual factors. Finally, mediation analysis was applied to explore how the contextual factors affect escalation decisions through brain activations. The findings showed that (1) escalation decisions are faster than de-escalation decisions, (2) the corresponding network of brain regions recruited for escalation (anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus) decisions differs from this recruited for de-escalation decisions (inferior and superior frontal gyri), (3) the switch from escalation to de-escalation is primarily frontal gyri dependent, and (4) activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, insula and precuneus were further increased in escalation decisions, when the outcome probabilities of the follow-up investment were positively framed; and activation in the inferior and superior frontal gyri in de-escalation decisions were increased when the outcome probabilities were negatively framed. Conclusions: Escalation and de-escalation decisions recruit different brain regions. Framing of possible outcomes as negative leads to escalation decisions through recruitment of the inferior frontal gyrus. Responsibility for decisions affects escalation decisions through recruitment of the superior (inferior) gyrus, when the decision is framed positively (negatively).

scholarly journals Anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampal inputs to the basolateral amygdala selectively control generalized fear

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samantha Ortiz ◽  
Maeson S. Latsko ◽  
Julia L. Fouty ◽  
Sohini Dutta ◽  
Jordan M. Adkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Basolateral Amygdala ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Time Dependent ◽  
Common Symptom ◽  
Independent Manner ◽  
Cortical Regions

AbstractNearly one third of Americans have been afflicted with an anxiety disorder. A common symptom of anxiety disorders is the over generalization of fear across a broad range of contextual cues. We previously found that the anterior cingulate cortex and ventral hippocampus (vHPC) regulate generalized fear. Here, we investigate the functional projections from the ACC and vHPC to the amygdala and their role in governing generalized fear in a preclinical rodent model. A chemogenetic approach (DREADDs) was used to inhibit glutamatergic projections from the ACC or vHPC that terminate within the basolateral amygdala (BLA) at recent (1 day) or remote (28 days) time points after contextually fear conditioning male mice. Inactivating ACC or vHPC projections to the BLA significantly reduced generalized fear to a novel, nonthreatening context but had no effect on fear to the training context. Further, our data indicate that the ACC-BLA circuit supports generalization in a time-independent manner. We also identified for the first time a strictly time-dependent role of the vHPC-BLA circuit in supporting remote generalized contextual fear. Dysfunctional signaling to the amygdala from the ACC or the hippocampus could underlie over-generalized fear responses that are associated with anxiety disorders. Our findings demonstrate that the ACC and vHPC regulate fear expressed in novel, nonthreatening environments via projections to the BLA but do so as a result of training intensity or time, respectively.Significance StatementAnxiety disorders are characterized by a common symptom that promotes overgeneralization of fear in non-threatening environments. Dysregulation of the amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), or hippocampus has been hypothesized to contribute to increased fear associated with anxiety disorders. Our findings show that the ACC and HPC projections to the basolateral amygdala regulate generalized fear in non-threatening, environments. However, descending ACC projections control fear generalization independent of time, whereas HPC projections play a strictly time-dependent role in regulating generalized fear. Thus, dysfunctional ACC/HPC signaling to the BLA may be a predominant underlying mechanism of non-specific fear associated with anxiety disorders. Our data have important implications for predictions made by theories about aging memories and interactions between the hippocampus and cortical regions.

scholarly journals The PKCγ neurons in anterior cingulate cortex contribute to the development of neuropathic allodynia and pain-related emotion

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
pp. 174480692110619
Author(s):  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
Peng Liu ◽  
Xiaolan He ◽  
Zhenhua Jiang ◽  
Qun Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropathic Pain ◽  
Patch Clamp ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Mechanical Allodynia ◽  
Pain Perception ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Fos Expression ◽  
Aversive Behavior

Background While the PKCγ neurons in spinal dorsal horn play an indispensable part in neuropathic allodynia, the exact effect of PKCγ neurons of brain regions in neuropathic pain remains elusive. Mounting research studies have depicted that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) is closely linked with pain perception and behavior, the present study was designed to investigate the contribution of PKCγ neurons in ACC to neuropathic allodynia and pain-related emotion in newly developed Prkcg-P2A-Tdtomato mice. Methods The c-fos expression in response to innocuous stimulation was used to monitor the activity of PKCγ in CCI (chronic constriction injury of the sciatic nerve) induced neuropathic pain condition. Activating or silencing ACC PKCγ neurons by chemogenetics was applied to observe the changes of pain behavior. The excitability of ACC PKCγ neurons in normal and CCI mice was compared by patch-clamp whole-cell recordings. Results The PKCγ-Tdtomato neurons were mainly distributed in layer III-Vof ACC. The Tdtomato was mainly expressed in ACC pyramidal neurons demonstrated by intracellular staining. The c-fos expression in ACC PKCγ neurons in response to innocuous stimulation was obviously elevated in CCI mice. The patch clamp recordings showed that ACC PKCγ-Tdtomato neurons were largely activated in CCI mice. Chemogenetic activation of ACC PKCγ neurons in Prkcg-icre mice induced mechanical allodynia and pain-related aversive behavior, conversely, silencing them in CCI condition significantly reversed the mechanical allodynia and pain-related place aversive behavior. Conclusion We conclude that the PKCγ neurons in ACC are closely linked with neuropathic allodynia and pain-related emotional behaviors.

scholarly journals A Pain in the ACC

2005 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 1744-8069-1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul W Frankland ◽  
Cátia M Teixeira
Keyword(s):  
Complex Networks ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Anterior Cingulate ◽  
Subcortical Brain

An emerging theme in systems neurobiology is that even simple forms of memory depend on activity in a broad network of cortical and subcortical brain regions. One key challenge is to understand how different components of these complex networks contribute to memory. In a new study in Molecular Pain, Tang and colleagues use a novel set of approaches to characterize the role of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) in the formation of Pavlovian fear memories.

scholarly journals Quetiapine and flupentixol differentially improve anterior cingulate cortex function in schizophrenia patients: an event-related potential study

2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. 1911-1925 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabrina Schneider ◽  
Thomas Juergen Bahmer ◽  
Florian Gerhard Metzger ◽  
Andreas Reif ◽  
Thomas Polak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Anterior Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Atypical Antipsychotics ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Clinical Investigation ◽  
Cingulate Cortex ◽  
Antipsychotic Agents ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Event Related Potential ◽  
Anterior Cingulate

Abstract Atypical antipsychotic agents are a frequently and effectively used treatment in schizophrenia and psychotic disorders. Other than conventional antipsychotics, which mainly exert their pharmacological effect in subcortical dopaminergic systems, atypical antipsychotics additionally affect partly serotonergically innervated structures within prefrontal areas, such as the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). However, only few controlled, randomized studies have so far investigated direct and indirect effects of atypical antipsychotics on the ACC and, up until now, no clinical investigation has exclusively addressed the specific effects of quetiapine on ACC function. The present study assessed ACC function in 18 quetiapine-medicated patients and 13 flupentixol-treated patients suffering from schizophrenia by means of the error-related negativity (ERN), a neurophysiological marker of ACC function, in a pre-post design. Between-group comparisons revealed different effects of quetiapine and flupentixol on ACC function despite similar improvement in psychopathology, cognitive performance and quality of life. Whereas atypical treatment was associated with an increase in amplitudes over time, there were prolonged ERN peak latencies in patients treated with the typical agent. Moreover, treatment effects depended on baseline prefrontal cortex function in both groups. We conclude that both flupentixol and quetiapine improve prefrontal function especially in patients with weak initial ACC function which might be due to their shared affinity for serotonin receptors in frontal brain regions. However, since this affinity is more pronounced for quetiapine, patients treated with quetiapine seemed to profit more evidently concerning their prefrontal cortex function compared to patients of the flupentixol group, who exhibited a compensatory prolongation of processes.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document