M100907 and Clozapine, but not Haloperidol or Raclopride, Prevent Phencyclidine-Induced Blockade of NMDA Responses in Pyramidal Neurons of the Rat Medial Prefrontal Cortical Slice

Dopaminergic modulation of prefrontal cortical activity is known to affect cognitive functions like working memory. Little consensus on the role of dopamine modulation has been achieved, however, in part because quantities directly relating to the neuronal substrate of working memory are difficult to measure. Here we show that dopamine increases the gain of the frequency-current relationship of layer 5 pyramidal neurons in vitro in response to noisy input currents. The gain increase could be attributed to a reduction of the slow afterhyperpolarization by dopamine. Dopamine also increases neuronal excitability by shifting the input-output functions to lower inputs. The modulation of these response properties is mainly mediated by D1 receptors. Integrate-and-fire neurons were fitted to the experimentally recorded input-output functions and recurrently connected in a model network. The gain increase induced by dopamine application facilitated and stabilized persistent activity in this network. The results support the hypothesis that catecholamines increase the neuronal gain and suggest that dopamine improves working memory via gain modulation.

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5-HT1aagonist ±- 8-OH-DPAT modulates basal and stress-induced changes in medial prefrontal cortical dopamine

Synapse ◽

10.1002/syn.890180307 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 18 (3) ◽

pp. 218-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 57

Author(s):

Ann M. Rasmusson ◽

Lee E. Goldstein ◽

Ariel Y. Deutch ◽

Benjamin S. Bunney ◽

Robert H. Roth

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortical ◽

Induced Changes ◽

Medial Prefrontal Cortical

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The Neural Sociometer: Brain Mechanisms Underlying State Self-esteem

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00027 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (11) ◽

pp. 3448-3455 ◽

Cited By ~ 100

Author(s):

Naomi I. Eisenberger ◽

Tristen K. Inagaki ◽

Keely A. Muscatell ◽

Kate E. Byrne Haltom ◽

Mark R. Leary

Keyword(s):

Negative Feedback ◽

Cortical Activity ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Anterior Insula ◽

Lower State ◽

Social Connection ◽

Prefrontal Cortical ◽

Referential Processing ◽

Neural Underpinnings ◽

Medial Prefrontal Cortical

On the basis of the importance of social connection for survival, humans may have evolved a “sociometer”—a mechanism that translates perceptions of rejection or acceptance into state self-esteem. Here, we explored the neural underpinnings of the sociometer by examining whether neural regions responsive to rejection or acceptance were associated with state self-esteem. Participants underwent fMRI while viewing feedback words (“interesting,” “boring“) ostensibly chosen by another individual (confederate) to describe the participant's previously recorded interview. Participants rated their state self-esteem in response to each feedback word. Results demonstrated that greater activity in rejection-related neural regions (dorsal ACC, anterior insula) and mentalizing regions was associated with lower-state self-esteem. Additionally, participants whose self-esteem decreased from prescan to postscan versus those whose self-esteem did not showed greater medial prefrontal cortical activity, previously associated with self-referential processing, in response to negative feedback. Together, the results inform our understanding of the origin and nature of our feelings about ourselves.

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