In search of the locus coeruleus: guidelines to identify anatomical boundaries and physiological properties of the blue spot in mice, fish, finches and beyond.

Our understanding of human brain function can be greatly aided by studying analogous brain structures in other organisms. One brain structure with neurochemical and anatomical homology throughout vertebrate species is the locus coeruleus (LC), a small collection of norepinephrine (NE) containing neurons in the brainstem that project throughout the central nervous system. The LC is involved in nearly every aspect of brain function, including arousal and learning, which has been extensively examined in rats and non-human primates using single unit recordings. Recent work has expanded into putative LC single unit electrophysiological recordings in a non-model species, the zebra finch. Given the importance of correctly identifying analogous structures as research efforts expand to other vertebrates, we suggest adoption of consensus anatomical and electrophysiological guidelines for identifying LC neurons across species when evaluating brainstem single unit spiking or calcium imaging. Such consensus criteria will allow for confident cross-species understanding of the roles of the LC in brain function and behavior.

Repetitive mild traumatic brain injury impairs norepinephrine system function and psychostimulant responsivity.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex pathophysiological process that results in a variety of neurotransmitter, behavioral, and cognitive deficits. The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine (LC-NE) system is a critical regulator of arousal levels and higher executive processes affected by TBI including attention, working memory, and decision making. LC-NE axon injury and impaired signaling within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is a potential contributor to the neuropsychiatric symptoms after single, moderate to severe TBI. The majority of TBIs are mild, yet long-term cognitive deficits and increased susceptibility for further injury can accumulate after each repetitive mild TBI. As a potential treatment for restoring cognitive function and daytime sleepiness after injury psychostimulants, including methylphenidate (MPH) that increase levels of NE within the PFC, are being prescribed "off-label". The impact of mild and repetitive mild TBI on the LC-NE system remains limited. Therefore, we determined the extent of LC-NE and arousal dysfunction and response to therapeutic doses of MPH in rats following experimentally induced single and repetitive mild TBI. Microdialysis measures of basal NE efflux from the medial PFC and arousal measures were significantly lower after repetitive mild TBI. Females showed higher baseline PFC-NE efflux than males following single and repetitive mild TBI. In response to MPH challenge, males exhibited a blunted PFC-NE response and persistent arousal levels following repetitive mild TBI. These results provide critical insight into the role of catecholamine system dysfunction associated with cognitive deficits following repeated injury, outcome differences between sex/gender, and lack of success of MPH as an adjunctive therapy to improve cognitive function following injury.

Perturbations in risk/reward decision making and frontal cortical catecholamine regulation induced by mild traumatic brain injury.

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) disrupts cognitive processes that influence risk taking behavior. Little is known regarding the effects of repetitive mild injury (rmTBI) or whether these outcomes are sex specific. Risk/reward decision making is mediated by the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which is densely innervated by catecholaminergic fibers. Aberrant PFC catecholamine activity has been documented following TBI and may underlie TBI-induced risky behavior. The present study characterized the effects of rmTBI on risk/reward decision making behavior and catecholamine transmitter regulatory proteins within the PFC. Rats were exposed to sham, single (smTBI), or three closed-head controlled cortical impact (CH-CCI) injuries and assessed for injury-induced effects on risk/reward decision making using a probabilistic discounting task (PDT). In the first week post-final surgery, mTBI increased risky choice preference. By the fourth week, males exhibited increased latencies to make risky choices following rmTBI, demonstrating a delayed effect on processing speed. When levels of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and the norepinephrine reuptake transporter (NET) were measured within subregions of the PFC, females exhibited dramatic increases of TH levels within the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) following smTBI. However, both males and females demonstrated reduced levels of OFC NET following rmTBI. These results indicate the OFC is susceptible to catecholamine instability after rmTBI and suggests that not all areas of the PFC contribute equally to TBI-induced imbalances. Overall, the CH-CCI model of rmTBI has revealed time-dependent and sex-specific changes in risk/reward decision making and catecholamine regulation following repetitive mild head injuries.

Probing the structure and function of locus coeruleus projections to CNS motor centers.

The brainstem nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) sends projections to the forebrain, brainstem, cerebellum and spinal cord and is a source of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine (NE) in these areas. For more than 50 years, LC was considered to be homogeneous in structure and function such that NE would be released uniformly and act simultaneously on the cells and circuits that receive LC projections. However, recent studies have provided evidence that LC is modular in design, with segregated output channels and the potential for differential release and action of NE in its projection fields. These new findings have prompted a radical shift in our thinking about LC operations and demand revision of theoretical constructs regarding impact of the LC-NE system on behavioral outcomes in health and disease. Within this context, a major gap in our knowledge is the relationship between the LC-NE system and CNS motor control centers. While we know much about the organization of the LC-NE system with respect to sensory and cognitive circuitries and the impact of LC output on sensory guided behaviors and executive function, much less is known about the role of the LC-NE pathway in motor network operations and movement control. As a starting point for closing this gap in understanding, we propose using an intersectional recombinase-based viral-genetic strategy TrAC (Tracing Axon Collaterals) as well as established ex vivo electrophysiological assays to characterize efferent connectivity and physiological attributes of mouse LC-motor network projection neurons. The novel hypothesis to be tested is that LC cells with projections to CNS motor centers are scattered throughout the rostral-caudal extent of the nucleus but collectively display a common set of electrophysiological properties. Additionally, we expect to find these LC projection neurons maintain an organized network of axon collaterals capable of supporting selective, synchronous release of NE in motor circuitries for the purpose of coordinately regulating operations across networks that are responsible for balance and movement dynamics. Investigation of this hypothesis will advance our knowledge of the role of the LC-NE system in motor control and provide a basis for treating movement disorders resulting from disease, injury, or normal aging.

A novel dopamine D3R agonist SK609 with norepinephrine transporter inhibition promotes improvement in cognitive task performance in rodent and non-human primate models of Parkinson's disease.

Mild cognitive impairment is present in a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Parkinson's disease (PD). Mild cognitive impairment in PD (PD-MCI) often manifests as deficits in executive functioning, attention, and spatial and working memory. Clinical studies have suggested that the development of mild cognitive impairment may be an early symptom of PD and may even precede the onset of motor impairment by several years. Dysfunction in several neurotransmitter systems, including dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), may be involved in PD-MCI, making it difficult to treat pharmacologically. In addition, many agents used to treat motor impairment in PD may exacerbate cognitive impairment. Thus, there is a significant unmet need to develop therapeutics that can treat both motor and cognitive impairments in PD. We have recently developed SK609, a selective, G-protein biased signaling agonist of dopamine D3 receptors. SK609 was successfully used to treat motor impairment and reduce levodopa-induced dyskinesia in a rodent model of PD. Further characterization of SK609 suggested that it is a selective norepinephrine transporter (NET) inhibitor with the ability to increase both DA and NE levels in the prefrontal cortex. Pharmacokinetic analysis of SK609 under systemic administration demonstrated 98% oral bioavailability and high brain distribution in striatum, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. To evaluate the effects of SK609 on cognitive deficits of potential relevance to PD-MCI, we used unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned rats and 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)-treated cynomolgus macaques, with deficits in performance in a sustained attention and an object retrieval task, respectively. SK609 dose dependently improved the performance of 6-OHDA-lesioned rats, with peak performance achieved using a 4 mg/kg dose. This improvement was predominantly due to a significant reduction in the number of misses and false alarm errors, contributing to an increase in sustained attention. In MPTP-lesioned monkeys, this same dose also improved performance in an object retrieval task, significantly reducing cognitive errors (barrier reaches) and motor errors (fine motor dexterity problems). These data demonstrate that SK609 with its unique pharmacological effects on modulating both DA and NE can ameliorate cognitive impairment in PD models and may provide a therapeutic option to treat both motor and cognitive impairment in PD patients.

Locus coeruleus: a new look at the blue spot.

The locus coeruleus (LC), or 'blue spot', is a small nucleus located deep in the brainstem that provides the far-reaching noradrenergic neurotransmitter system of the brain. This phylogenetically conserved nucleus has proved relatively intractable to full characterization, despite more than 60 years of concerted efforts by investigators. Recently, an array of powerful new neuroscience tools have provided unprecedented access to this elusive nucleus, revealing new levels of organization and function. We are currently at the threshold of major discoveries regarding how this tiny brainstem structure exerts such varied and significant influences over brain function and behaviour. All LC neurons receive inputs related to autonomic arousal, but distinct subpopulations of those neurons can encode specific cognitive processes, presumably through more specific inputs from the forebrain areas. This ability, combined with specific patterns of innervation of target areas and heterogeneity in receptor distributions, suggests that activation of the LC has more specific influences on target networks than had initially been imagined.

An Intersectional Viral-Genetic Method for Fluorescent Tracing of Axon Collaterals Reveals Details of Noradrenergic Locus Coeruleus Structure.

Understanding the function of broadly projecting neurons depends on comprehensive knowledge of the distribution and targets of their axon collaterals. While retrograde tracers and, more recently, retrograde viral vectors have been used to identify efferent projections, they have limited ability to reveal the full pattern of axon collaterals from complex, heterogeneous neuronal populations. Here we describe TrAC (tracing axon collaterals), an intersectional recombinase-based viral-genetic strategy that allows simultaneous visualization of axons from a genetically defined neuronal population and a projection-based subpopulation. To test this new method, we have applied TrAC to analysis of locus coeruleus norepinephrine (LC-NE)-containing neurons projecting to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and primary motor cortex (M1) in laboratory mice. TrAC allowed us to label each projection-based LC-NE subpopulation, together with all remaining LC-NE neurons, in isolation from other noradrenergic populations. This analysis revealed mPFC-projecting and M1-projecting LC-NE subpopulations differ from each other and from the LC as a whole in their patterns of axon collateralization. Thus, TrAC complements and extends existing axon tracing methods by permitting analyses that have not previously been possible with complex genetically defined neuronal populations.

Selective vulnerability of dorsal raphe-medial prefrontal cortex projection neurons to corticosterone-induced hypofunction.

Glucocorticoid hormones and serotonin (5-HT) are strongly associated with the development and treatment of depression, respectively. Glucocorticoids regulate the function of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), which are the major source of 5-HT to the forebrain. DR 5-HT neurons are electrophysiologically heterogeneous, though whether this phenotypic variation aligns with specific brain functions or neuropsychiatric disease states is largely unknown. The goal of this work was to determine if chronic exogenous glucocorticoid administration differentially affects the electrophysiological profile of DR neurons implicated in the regulation of emotion versus visual sensation by comparing properties of cells projecting to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) versus lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). Following retrograde tracer injection into mPFC or LGN, male Sprague-Dawley rats received daily injections of corticosterone (CORT) for 21 days, after which whole-cell patch clamp recordings were made from retrogradely labeled DR neurons. CORT-treatment significantly increased the action potential half-width of LGN-projecting DR neurons, but did not significantly affect the firing frequency or excitatory postsynaptic currents of these cells. CORT-treatment significantly reduced the input resistance, evoked firing frequency, and spontaneous excitatory postsynaptic current frequency of mPFC-projecting DR neurons, indicating a concurrent reduction of both intrinsic excitability and excitatory drive. Our results suggest that the serotonergic regulation of cognitive and emotional networks in the mPFC may be more sensitive to the effects of glucocorticoid excess than visual sensory circuits in the LGN and that reduced 5-HT transmission in the mPFC may underlie the association between glucocorticoid excess and depression.

Selective activation of Dopamine D3 receptors and norepinephrine transporter blockade enhances sustained attention.

Catecholamine transmitters dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) regulate prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuit activity and PFC-mediated executive functions. Accordingly, pharmacological agents that influence catecholamine neurotransmission exert prominent effects on cognition. Many such agents are used clinically to treat attention disorders. For example, methylphenidate blocks DA and NE reuptake and is the leading choice for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment. Recently, we have designed SK609 - a selective small molecule agonist of the DA D3 receptor (D3R). In this study, we further characterized SK609's ability to selectively inhibit the reuptake of NE by NE transporters (NET). Our results indicate SK609 selectively inhibits NET with a Ki value of ∼500 nM and behaves as a NET substrate. Systemic dosing of SK609 (4 mg/kg; i.p.) in naïve rats produced a 300% and 160% increase in NE and DA, respectively, in the PFC as measured by microdialysis. Based on these neurochemical results, SK609 was tested in a PFC-dependent, visually-guided sustained attention task in rats. SK609 improved performance in a dose-dependent manner with a classical inverted-U dose response function with a peak effect at 4 mg/kg. SK609's peak effect was blocked by a pre-treatment with either the D2/D3R antagonist raclopride (0.05 mg/kg; i.p) or the alpha-1 adrenergic receptor antagonist prazosin (0.25 mg/kg; i.p), confirming a role for both DA and NE in promoting sustained attention. Additionally, SK609 improved sustained attention more prominently among low-performing animals. Doses of SK609 (2, 4, and 8 mg/kg) associated with cognitive enhancement did not produce an increase in spontaneous locomotor activity, suggesting a lack of side effects mediated by DA transporter (DAT) activity. These results demonstrate that the novel catecholaminergic modulator SK609 has the potential to treat sustained attention deficits without affecting DAT activity, distinguishing it from amphetamines and methylphenidate.

The locus coeruleus-norepinephrine system and sensory signal processing: A historical review and current perspectives.

Many studies in intact animals have shown that locally applied or synaptically released norepinephrine (NE) can enhance individual neuron and neural network responses to sensory inputs. However, a major unanswered question is how and when noradrenergically-mediated changes in sensory signal processing can influence downstream decision making, motor responding, and ultimately behavioral outcomes. Recent work using a variety of approaches in different sensory networks has started to consider this question. Evidence collected to date as reported in this Special Edition of Brain Research suggests that output from the brainstem locus coeruleus (LC)-NE system can modify task-related sensory signal processing and by so doing influence goal-directed behavioral responding. This report reviews the work leading to this most recent line of inquiry and at the same time identifies areas for future investigation.

Considering noradrenergically mediated facilitation of sensory signal processing as a component of psychostimulant-induced performance enhancement.

Prescription stimulants are used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Psychostimulants are also used off-label by non-ADHD patients as performance-enhancing agents across academic, occupational, athletic, and social settings. Extensive work has focused on the reinforcing effects and abuse liability of psychostimulants, but understanding the mechanisms through which these agents regulate neural circuit functions that govern cognitive and sensorimotor processes to result in their performance-enhancing effects has received less attention. Optimal detection of sensory information within complex, dynamic environments is critical for appropriate decision making and executive actions. As such, overall performance enhancement may significantly rely on improvements in the processing of incoming sensory stimuli. Psychostimulants enhance catecholamine neurotransmission through the blockade of dopamine and norepinephrine (NE) reuptake transporters. The ascending locus coeruleus (LC)-NE system regulates behavioral state and modulates state dependent transmission of sensory signals. LC stimulation and local administration of NE to sensory processing areas of the brain can change the dynamics of both cellular and circuit activity in response to incoming sensory information. Here we explore the LC-NE system's neuromodulatory role in altering sensory signal processing as a plausible mechanism through which psychostimulant agents amplify physiological responses to important sensory stimuli as a component of their performance-enhancing effects in both ADHD patients and otherwise healthy individuals. We further consider sensory enhancement as a desirable outcome that has not previously been explored as an element of therapeutic efficacy, as well as added motivation for otherwise healthy individuals to engage in off-label self-administration of psychostimulant drugs.

Neurochemical differences between target-specific populations of rat dorsal raphe projection neurons.

Serotonin (5-HT)-containing neurons in the dorsal raphe (DR) nucleus project throughout the forebrain and are implicated in many physiological processes and neuropsychiatric disorders. Diversity among these neurons has been characterized in terms of their neurochemistry and anatomical organization, but a clear sense of whether these attributes align with specific brain functions or terminal fields is lacking. DR 5-HT neurons can co-express additional neuroactive substances, increasing the potential for individualized regulation of target circuits. The goal of this study was to link DR neurons to a specific functional role by characterizing cells according to both their neurotransmitter expression and efferent connectivity; specifically, cells projecting to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), a region implicated in cognition, emotion, and responses to stress. Following retrograde tracer injection, brainstem sections from Sprague-Dawley rats were immunohistochemically stained for markers of serotonin, glutamate, GABA, and nitric oxide (NO). 98% of the mPFC-projecting serotonergic neurons co-expressed the marker for glutamate, while the markers for NO and GABA were observed in 60% and less than 1% of those neurons, respectively. To identify potential target-specific differences in co-transmitter expression, we also characterized DR neurons projecting to a visual sensory structure, the lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN). The proportion of serotonergic neurons co-expressing NO was greater amongst cells targeting the mPFC vs LGN (60% vs 22%). The established role of 5-HT in affective disorders and the emerging role of NO in stress signaling suggest that the impact of 5-HT/NO co-localization in DR neurons that regulate mPFC circuit function may be clinically relevant.

Corticotropin releasing factor dose-dependently modulates excitatory synaptic transmission in the noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus.

The noradrenergic nucleus locus coeruleus (LC) is critically involved in the stress response and receives afferent input from a number of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) containing structures. Several in vivo and in vitro studies in rat have shown that CRF robustly increases the firing rate of LC neurons in a dose-dependent manner. While it is known that these increases are dependent on CRF receptor subtype 1 and mediated by effects of cAMP intracellular signaling cascades on potassium conductance, the impact of CRF on synaptic transmission within LC has not been clarified. In the present study, we used whole-cell patch clamp electrophysiology to assess how varying concentrations of bath-applied CRF affect AMPA-receptor dependent spontaneous excitatory post-synaptic currents (sEPSCs). Compared to vehicle, 10, 25, and 100 nm CRF had no significant effects on any sEPSC parameters. Fifty nanomolar CRF, however, significantly increased sEPSC amplitude, half-width, and charge transfer, while these measures were significantly decreased by 200 nm CRF. These observations suggest that stress may differentially affect ongoing excitatory synaptic transmission in LC depending on how much CRF is released from presynaptic terminals. Combined with the well-documented effects of CRF on membrane properties and spontaneous LC discharge, these observations may help explain how stress and CRF release are able to modulate the signal to noise ratio of LC neurons. These findings have implications for how stress affects the fidelity of signal transmission and information flow through LC and how it might impact norepinephrine release in the CNS.

Methylphenidate Enhances Early-Stage Sensory Processing and Rodent Performance of a Visual Signal Detection Task.

Methylphenidate (MPH) is used clinically to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and off-label as a performance-enhancing agent in healthy individuals. MPH enhances catecholamine transmission via blockade of norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) reuptake transporters. However, it is not clear how this action affects neural circuits performing cognitive and sensorimotor functions driving performance enhancement. The dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) is the primary thalamic relay for visual information from the retina to the cortex and is densely innervated by NE-containing fibers from the locus coeruleus (LC), a pathway known to modulate state-dependent sensory processing. Here, MPH was evaluated for its potential to alter stimulus-driven sensory responses and behavioral outcomes during performance of a visual signal detection task. MPH enhanced activity within individual neurons, ensembles of neurons, and visually-evoked potentials (VEPs) in response to task light cues, while increasing coherence within theta and beta oscillatory frequency bands. MPH also improved reaction times to make correct responses, indicating more efficient behavioral performance. Improvements in reaction speed were highly correlated with faster VEP latencies. Finally, immunostaining revealed that catecholamine innervation of the dLGN is solely noradrenergic. This work suggests that MPH, acting via noradrenergic mechanisms, can substantially affect early-stage sensory signal processing and subsequent behavioral outcomes.

Age-related changes in prefrontal norepinephrine transporter density: The basis for improved cognitive flexibility after low doses of atomoxetine in adolescent rats.

Adolescence is a period of major behavioral and brain reorganization. As diagnoses and treatment of disorders like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often occur during adolescence, it is important to understand how the prefrontal cortices change and how these changes may influence the response to drugs during development. The current study uses an adolescent rat model to study the effect of standard ADHD treatments, atomoxetine and methylphenidate on attentional set shifting and reversal learning. While both of these drugs act as norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors, higher doses of atomoxetine and all doses of methylphenidate also block dopamine transporters (DAT). Low doses of atomoxetine, were effective at remediating cognitive rigidity found in adolescents. In contrast, methylphenidate improved performance in rats unable to form an attentional set due to distractibility but was without effect in normal subjects. We also assessed the effects of GBR 12909, a selective DAT inhibitor, but found no effect of any dose on behavior. A second study in adolescent rats investigated changes in norepinephrine transporter (NET) and dopamine beta hydroxylase (DBH) density in five functionally distinct sub-regions of the prefrontal cortex: infralimbic, prelimbic, anterior cingulate, medial and lateral orbitofrontal cortices. These regions are implicated in impulsivity and distractibility. We found that NET, but not DBH, changed across adolescence in a regionally selective manner. The prelimbic cortex, which is critical to cognitive rigidity, and the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, critical to reversal learning and some forms of response inhibition, showed higher levels of NET at early than mid- to late adolescence. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Noradrenergic System.

Differentiation of rodent behavioral phenotypes and methylphenidate action in sustained and flexible attention tasks.

Methyphenidate (MPH) is the primary drug treatment of choice for ADHD. It is also frequently used off-label as a cognitive enhancer by otherwise healthy individuals from all age groups and walks of life. Military personnel, students, and health professionals use MPH illicitly to increase attention and improve workplace performance over extended periods of work activity. Despite the frequency of its use, the efficacy of MPH to enhance cognitive function across individuals and in a variety of circumstances is not well characterized. We sought to better understand MPH׳s cognitive enhancing properties in two different rodent models of attention. We found that MPH could enhance performance in a sustained attention task, but that its effects in this test were subject dependent. More specifically, MPH increased attention in low baseline performing rats but had little to no effect on high performing rats. MPH exerted a similar subject specific effect in a test of flexible attention, i.e. the attention set shifting task. In this test MPH increased behavioral flexibility in animals with poor flexibility but impaired performance in more flexible animals. Overall, our results indicate that the effects of MPH are subject-specific and depend on the baseline level of performance. Furthermore, good performance in in the sustained attention task was correlated with good performance in the flexible attention task; i.e. animals with better vigilance exhibited greater behavioral flexibility. The findings are discussed in terms of potential neurobiological substrates, in particular noradrenergic mechanisms, that might underlie subject specific performance and subject specific responses to MPH. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled SI: Noradrenergic System.

"What have we GANEd?" A theoretical construct to explain experimental evidence for noradrenergic regulation of sensory signal processing.

The GANE (glutamate amplifies noradrenergic effects) theory posits a mechanism for amplifying noradrenergic modulatory actions and enhancing the processing of high-priority sensory signals for immediate or future experience-guided action. This theoretical construct is thought provoking with respect to the central processing of high-priority versus low-priority stimuli, but it requires some refinement to account for physiological fluctuations in NE efflux as a function of naturally occurring transitions in behavioral state and the experimentally observed phenomena associated with noradrenergic regulation of sensory signal transfer.

Induction of Interleukin-1ß by Human Immunodeficiency Virus-1 Viral Proteins Leads to Increased Levels of Neuronal Ferritin Heavy Chain, Synaptic Injury, and Deficits in Flexible Attention.

Synaptodendritic pruning and alterations in neurotransmission are the main underlying causes of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND). Our studies in humans and nonhuman primates indicated that the protein ferritin heavy chain (FHC) is a critical player in neuronal changes and ensuing cognitive deficit observed in these patients. Here we focus on the effect of HIV proteins and inflammatory cytokines implicated in HAND on neuronal FHC levels, dendritic changes, and neurocognitive behavior. In two well characterized models of HAND (HIV transgenic and gp120-treated rats), we report reductions in spine density and dendritic branches in prefrontal cortex pyramidal neurons compared with age-matched controls. FHC brain levels are elevated in these animals, which also show deficits in reversal learning. Moreover, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and HIV gp120 upregulate FHC in rat cortical neurons. However, although the inflammatory cytokines directly altered neuronal FHC, gp120 only caused significant FHC upregulation in neuronal/glial cocultures, suggesting that glia are necessary for sustained elevation of neuronal FHC by the viral protein. Although the envelope protein induced secretion of IL-1ß and TNF-α in cocultures, TNF-α blockade did not affect gp120-mediated induction of FHC. Conversely, studies with an IL-1ß neutralizing antibody or specific IL-1 receptor antagonist revealed the primary involvement of IL-1ß in gp120-induced FHC changes. Furthermore, silencing of neuronal FHC abrogates the effect of gp120 on spines, and spine density correlates negatively with FHC levels or cognitive deficit. These results demonstrate that viral and host components of HIV infection increase brain expression of FHC, leading to cellular and functional changes, and point to IL-1ß-targeted strategies for prevention of these alterations. Significance statement: This work demonstrates the key role of the cytokine IL-1ß in the regulation of a novel intracellular mediator [i.e., the protein ferritin heavy chain (FHC)] of HIV-induced dendritic damage and the resulting neurocognitive impairment. This is also the first study that systematically investigates dendritic damage in layer II/III prefrontal cortex neurons of two different non-infectious models of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) and reveals a precise correlation of these structural changes with specific biochemical and functional alterations also reported in HIV patients. Overall, these data suggest that targeting the IL-1ß-dependent FHC increase may represent a valid strategy for neuroprotective adjuvant therapies in HAND.

Attention enhancing effects of methylphenidate are age-dependent.

The psychostimulant methylphenidate (MPH, Ritalin®) is used to treat a variety of cognitive disorders. MPH is also popular among healthy individuals, including the elderly, for its ability to focus attention and improve concentration, but these effects have not been shown to be comparable between aged and adult subjects. Thus, we tested whether MPH would improve performance in sustained attention in both adult and aged rats. In addition, we tested the impact of visual distraction on performance in this task and the ability of MPH to mitigate the effects of distraction. Adult (6-12 months) and aged (18-22 months) male Sprague-Dawley rats were given oral MPH, and their cognitive and motor abilities were tested. Results suggest that while MPH improves task performance in adults; there is no improvement in the aged animals. These outcomes suggest that the use of MPH for cognitive enhancement in elderly individuals may be ineffective.