The role of the hippocampo-prefrontal cortex system in phencyclidine-induced psychosis: A model for schizophrenia

Alcohol use disorder is a chronically relapsing disorder that involves (1) compulsivity to seek and take alcohol, (2) difficulty in limiting alcohol intake, and (3) emergence of a negative emotional state (e.g., dysphoria, anxiety, irritability) in the absence of alcohol. Alcohol addiction encompasses a three-stage cycle that becomes more intense as alcohol use progresses: binge/intoxication, withdrawal/negative affect, and preoccupation/anticipation. These stages engage neuroadaptations in brain circuits that involve the basal ganglia (reward hypofunction), extended amygdala (stress sensitization), and prefrontal cortex (executive function disorder). This chapter discusses key neuroadaptations in the hypothalamic and extrahypothalamic stress systems and the critical role of glucocorticoid receptors. These neuroadaptations contribute to negative emotional states that powerfully drive compulsive alcohol drinking and seeking. These changes in association with a disruption of prefrontal cortex function that lead to cognitive deficits and poor decision making contribute to the chronic relapsing nature of alcohol dependence.

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Functional role of the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex in decision making

Current Opinion in Neurobiology ◽

10.1016/j.conb.2007.02.008 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 228-233 ◽

Cited By ~ 74

Author(s):

Masamichi Sakagami ◽

Xiaochuan Pan

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Functional Role ◽

Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex

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Age-related differences in the role of the prefrontal cortex in sensory-motor training gains: A tDCS study

Neuropsychologia ◽

10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107891 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 107891

Author(s):

Si Jing Tan ◽

Hannah L. Filmer ◽

Paul E. Dux

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Motor Training ◽

Age Related ◽

Sensory Motor

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Loss of Calretinin in L5a impairs the formation of the barrel cortex leading to abnormal whisker-mediated behaviors

Molecular Brain ◽

10.1186/s13041-021-00775-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Mingzhao Su ◽

Junhua Liu ◽

Baocong Yu ◽

Kaixing Zhou ◽

Congli Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Information Integration ◽

Pyramidal Neurons ◽

Barrel Cortex ◽

Sensory Information ◽

Membrane Excitability ◽

Novelty Preference ◽

Layer 4 ◽

Dendritic Complexity ◽

Cortex System

AbstractThe rodent whisker-barrel cortex system has been established as an ideal model for studying sensory information integration. The barrel cortex consists of barrel and septa columns that receive information input from the lemniscal and paralemniscal pathways, respectively. Layer 5a is involved in both barrel and septa circuits and play a key role in information integration. However, the role of layer 5a in the development of the barrel cortex remains unclear. Previously, we found that calretinin is dynamically expressed in layer 5a. In this study, we analyzed calretinin KO mice and found that the dendritic complexity and length of layer 5a pyramidal neurons were significantly decreased after calretinin ablation. The membrane excitability and excitatory synaptic transmission of layer 5a neurons were increased. Consequently, the organization of the barrels was impaired. Moreover, layer 4 spiny stellate cells were not able to properly gather, leading to abnormal formation of barrel walls as the ratio of barrel/septum size obviously decreased. Calretinin KO mice exhibited deficits in exploratory and whisker-associated tactile behaviors as well as social novelty preference. Our study expands our knowledge of layer 5a pyramidal neurons in the formation of barrel walls and deepens the understanding of the development of the whisker-barrel cortex system.

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