1. Presented by Justin P. Smith
DECISION-MAKING PERFORMANCE IS RELATED TO LEVELS OF ANXIETY AND DIFFERENTIAL RECRUITMENT OF FRONTOSTRIATAL AREAS IN MALE RATS
L. DE VISSER, A. M. BAARS, M. LAVRIJSEN, C. M. M. VAN DER WEERD and R. VAN DEN BOS
Presented by Justin P. Smith

2. Stress and Anxiety (McEwen 2012)
Theme: Stress causes imbalance of neural circuitry and effects anxiety and decision making
Chronic stress
Dendritic shortening: mPFC, Amyg
↑ Amyg unlearned fear/fear conditioning
↑ aggression from hyperactive Amyg

3. Stress and Anxiety High responders Low responders ↑ locomotion
↓ freezing
↑ DA in Nac
↓ DA in mPFC
↓ 5-HT overall
Longer/larger DA response to stress
↓ GR expression in Hipp
Differ HPA axis response
Low responders
↓locomotion
↑ freezing
↓ DA in Nac
↑ DA in mPFC
↑ 5-HT overall
shorter/lower DA response to stress
↑ GR expression in Hipp
Differ HPA axis response

4. fMRI Paper (Lui 2009) Resting state Dysfunctional connectivity
Amyg, mPFC, ant. cingulate gyrus, supplementary motor area, ventral striatum, insula and hippocampus

7. This is your brain.
This is your brain after heroin
↓Decision making (OFC/PFC)
↓ inhibitory control (ACC/SMA)
↓working memory (AMYG/HIPP)

9. Links Stress or Heroin can cause changes in brain plasticity
Ecological and/or self-induced
Pre-disposition? Anxiety-Decision Making

10. Background
Anxious individuals at risk for mood disorders & drug addiction
Anxiety induces negative cognitive bias
Anxious human subjects perform poorly
Iowa Gambling Task (IGT)

11. IGT revisited Over 100 trials Net = -$2,500 Net = -$2,500 Net = $2,500

12. Animals Male Wistar Rats, 10wks Pair housed, revers e 12hr light cycle
Cage enrichment: tissue paper & shelter
Radio as background noise
Sustenance ad libitum
Except during exp

13. Behavioral tests
EPM
r-IGT

14. c-Fos
Immediate early gene
Indirect marker of neuronal activity

15. Fig 1

16. Fig 2

17. Fig 2

18. Fig 2

19. Fig 2

20. Brain areas used to determine neural activity by c-fos immunohistochemistry
-OFC, orbitofrontal cortex
-Cg1, cingulate area 1
-PrL, prelimbic cortex*
-IL, infralimbic cortex*
-INS, insular cortex
-NaS, nucleus accumbens shell*
-NaC, nucleus accumbens core*
-CeN, central nucleus of the amygdala
-BLA, basolateral amygdala

21. Fig 4
2hr after last trial

22. Take home Higher anxiety= poor r-IGT performance
mPFC & ventral striatum play pivotal role

23. Thank You