scholarly journals The Aversive Brain System of Teleosts: Implications for Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhayra Xavier do Carmo Silva ◽  
Monica Gomes Lima-Maximino ◽  
Caio Maximino
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Threat Detection ◽  
Coping Responses ◽  
Brain System ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Escape Responses ◽  
Central Gray ◽  
High Road

Defensive behavior is a function of specific survival circuits, the “aversive brain system”, that are thought to be conserved across vertebrates, and involve threat detection and the organization of defensive responses to reduce or eliminate threat. In mammals, these circuits involve amygdalar and hypothalamic subnuclei and midbrain circuits. The increased interest in teleost fishes as model organisms in neuroscience created a demand to understand which brain circuits are involved in defensive behavior. Telencephalic and habenular circuits represent a “forebrain circuit” for threat processing and organization of responses, being important to  mounting appropriate coping responses. Specific hypothalamic circuits organize neuroendocrine and neurovegetative outputs, but are the less well-studied in fish. A “midbrain circuit” is represented by projections to interneurons in the optic tectum which mediate fast escape responses via projections to the central gray and/or the brainstem escape network. Threatening stimuli (especially visual stimuli) can bypass the “high road” and directly activate this system, initiating escape responses. Increased attention to these circuits in an evolutionary framework is still needed.

scholarly journals The Aversive Brain System of Teleosts: Implications for Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhayra Xavier do Carmo Silva ◽  
Monica Gomes Lima-Maximino ◽  
Caio Maximino
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Threat Detection ◽  
Coping Responses ◽  
Brain System ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Escape Responses ◽  
Central Gray ◽  
High Road

Defensive behavior is a function of specific survival circuits, the “aversive brain system”, that are thought to be conserved across vertebrates, and involve threat detection and the organization of defensive responses to reduce or eliminate threat. In mammals, these circuits involve amygdalar and hypothalamic subnuclei and midbrain circuits. The increased interest in teleost fishes as model organisms in neuroscience created a demand to understand which brain circuits are involved in defensive behavior. Telencephalic and habenular circuits represent a “high road” for threat processing and organization of responses, being important to mounting appropriate coping responses. Specific hypothalamic circuits organize neuroendocrine and neurovegetative outputs, but are the less well-studied in fish. A “low road” is represented by projections to interneurons in the optic tectum which mediate fast escape responses via projections to the central gray and/or the brainstem escape network (not shown). Threatening stimuli (especially visual stimuli) can bypass the “high road” and directly activate this system, initiating escape responses. Increased attention to these circuits in an evolutionary framework is still needed.

scholarly journals The Aversive Brain System of Teleosts: Implications for Neuroscience and Biological Psychiatry

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhayra Xavier do Carmo Silva ◽  
Monica Gomes Lima-Maximino ◽  
Caio Maximino
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Model Organisms ◽  
Threat Detection ◽  
Coping Responses ◽  
Brain System ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Escape Responses ◽  
Central Gray ◽  
High Road

Defensive behavior is a function of specific survival circuits, the “aversive brain system”, that are thought to be conserved across vertebrates, and involve threat detection and the organization of defensive responses to reduce or eliminate threat. In mammals, these circuits involve amygdalar and hypothalamic subnuclei and midbrain circuits. The increased interest in teleost fishes as model organisms in neuroscience created a demand to understand which brain circuits are involved in defensive behavior. Telencephalic and habenular circuits represent a “forebrain circuit” for threat processing and organization of responses, being important to  mounting appropriate coping responses. Specific hypothalamic circuits organize neuroendocrine and neurovegetative outputs, but are the less well-studied in fish. A “midbrain circuit” is represented by projections to interneurons in the optic tectum which mediate fast escape responses via projections to the central gray and/or the brainstem escape network. Threatening stimuli (especially visual stimuli) can bypass the “high road” and directly activate this system, initiating escape responses. Increased attention to these circuits in an evolutionary framework is still needed.

Sequential arousal and airway-defensive behavior of infants in asphyxial sleep environments

1997 ◽  
Vol 83 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna S. Lijowska ◽  
Nevada W. Reed ◽  
Barbara A. Mertins Chiodini ◽  
Bradley T. Thach
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Complete Sequence ◽  
Bedding Material ◽  
Limb Movements ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
Stereotyped Behaviors ◽  
Motor Activities ◽  
Eyes Open ◽  
Multiple Measurements

Lijowska, Anna S., Nevada W. Reed, Barbara A. Mertins Chiodini, and Bradley T. Thach. Sequential arousal and airway-defensive behavior of infants in asphyxial sleep environments. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(1): 219–228, 1997.—Infants are prone to accidental asphyxiation. Therefore, we studied airway-defensive behaviors and their relationship to spontaneous arousal behavior in 41 healthy sleeping infants (2–26 wk old), using two protocols: 1) infant was rebreathing expired air, face covered by bedding material; and 2) infant was exposed to hypercarbia, face uncovered. Multiple measurements of respiratory and motor activities were recorded (video, polygraph). The infants’ response to increasing hypercarbia consisted of four highly stereotyped behaviors: sighs (augmented breaths), startles, thrashing limb movements, and full arousal (eyes open, cry). These behaviors occurred abruptly in self-limited clusters of activity and always in the same sequence: first a sigh coupled with a startle, then thrashing, then full arousal. Incomplete sequences (initial behaviors only) occurred far more frequently than the complete sequence and were variably effective in removing the bedding covering the airway. In both protocols, as inspired CO2increased, incomplete arousal sequences recurred periodically and with increasing frequency and complexity until the infant either succeeded in clearing his/her airway or was completely aroused. Spontaneous arousal sequences, identical to those occurring during hypercarbia, occurred periodically during sleep. This observation suggests that the infant’s airway-defensive responses to hypercarbia consist of an increase in the frequency and complexity of an endogenously regulated, periodically occurring sequence of arousal behaviors.

scholarly journals A role for cerebral cortex in the suppression of innate defensive behavior

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Natale ◽  
Maria Esteban Masferrer ◽  
Senthilkumar Deivasigamani ◽  
Cornelius T. Gross
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Cortex ◽  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Surgical Removal ◽  
Aversive Stimuli ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
Cortical Regions ◽  
Neuron Function ◽  
Stressful Stimulus

AbstractThe cerebral cortex is involved in the control of cognition and the processing of learned information and it appears to have a role in the adaptation of behavior in response to unpredictable circumstances. In addition, the cortex may have a role in the regulation of innate responses since rodents, cats or primates with surgical removal or accidental destruction of cortical regions show excessive irritability, aggression and rage elicited by threatening stimuli. However, it remains unclear whether cortex has an acute role in suppressing innate threat responses because the imprecision and chronic nature of these lesions leaves open the possibility that compensatory processes may underlie some of these phenotypes. In the present study we used pharmacogenetic inhibition to precisely, rapidly and reversibly suppress cortical pyramidal neuron function and examine its contribution to defensive behaviors elicited by a variety of innately aversive stimuli. Inhibition of cortex caused an increase of defensive responses elicited by an aggressive conspecific, a novel prey, and a physically stressful stimulus. These findings are consistent with a role of cortex in the acute inhibition of innate defensive behaviors.

scholarly journals Passionately Motivated Reasoning: Biased Processing of Passion-Threatening Messages

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin J. I. Schellenberg ◽  
Daniel Seth Bailis
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Motivated Reasoning ◽  
Sense Of Control ◽  
Total N ◽  
Harmonious Passion ◽  
Obsessive Passion ◽  
Dualistic Model Of Passion ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Biased Processing ◽  
And Control

Objective: When facing setbacks and obstacles, the dualistic model of passion outlines that obsessive passion, and not harmonious passion, will predict greater levels of defensiveness (Vallerand, 2015). Our aim was to determine if these passion dimensions predicted defensiveness in the same way when confronted with threatening messages targeting the decision to pursue a passion.Method: Across four studies with passionate Facebook users, hockey fans, and runners (total N = 763), participants viewed messages giving reasons why their favorite activity should not be pursued. Participants either reported their desire to read the messages (Studies 1 and 2) or evaluated the messages after reading them (Studies 3 and 4).Results: Harmonious passion consistently predicted higher levels of avoidance or negative evaluations of the messages. These responses were attenuated for participants who had previously affirmed an important value (Study 1), or who were told that they do not control the passions they pursue (Study 4).Conclusions: Harmonious passion entails a sense of autonomy and control over activity engagement, which usually leads to non-defensive behavior. However, this sense of control may elicit more defensive responses from more harmoniously passionate individuals when the decision itself to pursue an activity is under attack.

scholarly journals The aversive brain system of teleosts: Implications for neuroscience and biological psychiatry

2018 ◽  
Vol 95 ◽  
pp. 123-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhayra Xavier do Carmo Silva ◽  
Monica Gomes Lima-Maximino ◽  
Caio Maximino
Keyword(s):  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Brain System

Maternal Care and Individual Differences in Defensive Responses

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 229-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carine Parent ◽  
Tie-Yuan Zhang ◽  
Christian Caldji ◽  
Rose Bagot ◽  
Frances A. Champagne ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Maternal Care ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Biological Psychiatry ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Familial Transmission ◽  
Autonomic Responses ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Sustained Effects ◽  
Increased Risk

Familial transmission of mental illness is common. Recent studies in behavioral neuroscience and biological psychiatry reveal the importance of epigenetic mechanisms of transmission that center on the developmental consequences of variations in parental care. Studies with rats suggest that environmental adversity results in patterns of parent–offspring interactions that increase stress reactivity through sustained effects on gene expression in brain regions known to regulate behavioral, endocrine, and autonomic responses to stress. While such effects might be adaptive, the associated cost involves an increased risk for stress-related illness.

scholarly journals Ventromedial hypothalamic neurons control a defensive emotion state

eLife ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prabhat S Kunwar ◽  
Moriel Zelikowsky ◽  
Ryan Remedios ◽  
Haijiang Cai ◽  
Melis Yilmaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Emotional Learning ◽  
Cell Type ◽  
Hypothalamic Neurons ◽  
Behavioral Consequences ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Defensive Behaviors ◽  
Integral Role

Defensive behaviors reflect underlying emotion states, such as fear. The hypothalamus plays a role in such behaviors, but prevailing textbook views depict it as an effector of upstream emotion centers, such as the amygdala, rather than as an emotion center itself. We used optogenetic manipulations to probe the function of a specific hypothalamic cell type that mediates innate defensive responses. These neurons are sufficient to drive multiple defensive actions, and required for defensive behaviors in diverse contexts. The behavioral consequences of activating these neurons, moreover, exhibit properties characteristic of emotion states in general, including scalability, (negative) valence, generalization and persistence. Importantly, these neurons can also condition learned defensive behavior, further refuting long-standing claims that the hypothalamus is unable to support emotional learning and therefore is not an emotion center. These data indicate that the hypothalamus plays an integral role to instantiate emotion states, and is not simply a passive effector of upstream emotion centers.

scholarly journals A VTA GABAergic neural circuit mediates visually evoked innate defensive responses

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Zhou ◽  
Xuemei Liu ◽  
Shanping Chen ◽  
Zhijian Zhang ◽  
Yu-anming Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Visual Information ◽  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
Neural Circuit ◽  
Flight Behavior ◽  
Central Nucleus ◽  
General Role ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Electrophysiological Recordings

SUMMARYInnate defensive responses are essential for animal survival and are conserved across species. The ventral tegmental area (VTA) plays important roles in learned appetitive and aversive behaviors, but whether it plays a role in mediating or modulating innate defensive responses is currently unknown. We report that GABAergic neurons in the mouse VTA (VTAGABA+) are preferentially activated compared to VTA dopaminergic (VTADA+) neurons when a threatening visual stimulus evokes innate defensive behavior. Functional manipulation of these neurons showed that activation of VTAGABA+ neurons is indispensable for looming-evoked defensive flight behavior and photoactivation of these neurons is sufficient for looming-evoked defensive-like flight behavior, whereas no such role can be attributed for VTADA+ neurons. Viral tracing and in vivo and in vitro electrophysiological recordings showed that VTAGABA+ neurons receive direct excitatory inputs from the superior colliculus (SC). Furthermore, we showed that glutamatergic SC-VTA projections synapse onto VTAGABA+ neurons that project to the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) and that the CeA is involved in mediating the defensive behavior. Our findings demonstrate that visual information about aerial threats access to the VTAGABA+ neurons mediating innate behavioral responses, suggesting a more general role for the VTA.

scholarly journals Dopamine modulates visual threat processing in the superior colliculus via D2 receptors

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quentin Montardy ◽  
Zheng Zhou ◽  
Lei Li ◽  
Qingning Yang ◽  
Zhuogui Lei ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Superior Colliculus ◽  
Dopamine Receptors ◽  
Defensive Behavior ◽  
D2 Receptors ◽  
Receptor System ◽  
D2 Dopamine Receptors ◽  
Visuomotor Integration ◽  
Defensive Responses ◽  
Defensive Behaviors

AbstractDopamine (DA) system is intriguing in the aspect that distinct, typically opposing physiological functions are mediated by D1 dopamine receptors (Drd1) and D2 dopamine receptors (Drd2). Both Drd1+ and Drd2+ neurons were identified in superior colliculus (SC), a visuomotor integration center known for its role in defensive behaviors to visual threats. We hypothesized that Drd1+ and Drd2+ neurons in the SC may play a role in promoting instinctive defensive responses.Optogenetic activation of Drd2+ neurons, but not Drd1+ neurons, in the SC triggered strong defensive behaviors. Chemogenetic inhibition of SC Drd2+ neurons decreased looming-induced defensive behavior, suggesting involvement of SC Drd2+ neurons in defensive responses. To further confirm this functional role of Drd2 receptors, pretreatment with the Drd2+ agonist quinpirole in the SC impaired looming-evoked defensive responses, suggesting an essential role of Drd2 receptors in the regulation of innate defensive behavior. Inputs and outputs of SC Drd2+ neurons were investigated using viral tracing: SC Drd2+ neurons mainly receive moderate inputs from the Locus Coeruleus (LC), whilst we did not find any incoming projections from other dopaminergic structures. Our results suggest a sophisticated regulatory role of DA and its receptor system in innate defensive behavior.

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