Ventral Tegmental Area Dysfunction and Disruption of Dopaminergic Homeostasis: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Zhou, Peiling; Deng, Meiping; Wu, Jiashan; Lan, Qinghui; Yang, Huifang; Zhang, Changzheng

doi:10.1007/s12035-020-02278-6

Cited by 10 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 128 publications

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“…Music also activated the connectivity between the VTA and other regions, such as the NAc, hypothalamus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, and bilateral inferior frontal cortex (Menon and Levitin, 2005 ). However, no data are available to illustrate whether and how music affects VTA neuronal activities, such as dopaminergic neuron firing or burst characteristics [burst represents a periodic high-discharge firing that produces robust dopamine release (Zhou et al, 2021 )], or electrophysiological properties between dopaminergic and other neurons, such as long-term potentiation [persistent synaptic strengthening after stimulation (Ungless et al, 2001 )].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It is estimated that the overall lifetime prevalence of PTSD ranges from 1.3 to 12.2% in civilians (Zhou et al, 2021 ), with higher prevalence in some populations such as in soldiers and rape survivors (Bisson et al, 2015 ; Shalev et al, 2017 ; Baranyi et al, 2018 ; Eiset et al, 2021 ). The reason why an individual is susceptible to PTSD while others exhibit resilience or recovery remains largely unknown.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is abundant theoretical and empirical evidence concerning the beneficial effects of music therapy on PTSD patients ( Table 3 ). Considering that PTSD is strongly associated with mesolimbic dopaminergic dysfunction (Zhou et al, 2021 ), the aim of the present review was to detail whether and how music therapy affects PTSD associated with VTA dopaminergic action.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ventral tegmental area dopaminergic action in music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review

Meng

Wen²,

Zhou³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating sequela of extraordinary traumatic sufferings that threaten personal health and dramatically attenuate the patient's quality of life. Accumulating lines of evidence suggest that functional disorders in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic system contribute substantially to PTSD symptomatology. Notably, music therapy has been shown to greatly ameliorate PTSD symptoms. In this literature review, we focused on whether music improved PTSD symptoms, based on VTA dopaminergic action, including the effects of music on dopamine (DA)-related gene expression, the promotion of DA release and metabolism, and the activation of VTA functional activities. In addition, the strengths and limitations of the studies concerning the results of music therapy on PTSD are discussed. Collectively, music therapy is an effective approach for PTSD intervention, in which the VTA dopaminergic system may hold an important position.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ventral tegmental area dopaminergic action in music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review

Meng

Wen²,

Zhou³

et al. 2022

Front. Psychol.

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“…Dopaminergic neurons exhibit tonic and burst firing models. Tonic firing produces physiological dopamine release that sends “safety” signals downstream, whereas burst firing causes abundant dopamine release that is associated with reward-seeking behaviors ( Zhang et al, 2018 ; Zhou et al, 2021 ). In our present study, we found that arecoline significantly enhanced the firing rates and burst activities of VTA dopaminergic neurons, but exerted no significant effects on GABA neuronal firings, which was similar to the effects of cocaine on the firing characteristics of the dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons ( Creed et al, 2016 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arecoline Induces an Excitatory Response in Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons in Anesthetized Rats

et al. 2022

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Arecoline is the principle psychoactive alkaloid in areca nuts. Areca nuts are chewable seeds of Areca catechu L., which are epidemic plants that grow in tropical and subtropical countries and cause dependency after long-term use. However, the mechanisms underlying such dependency remain largely unclear, and therefore, no effective interventions for its cessation have been developed. The present study aimed to examine the effects of arecoline on neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA). After rats were anesthetized and craniotomized, electrophysiological electrodes were lowered into the VTA to obtain extracellular recordings. The mean firing rate of dopaminergic and GABAergic neurons were then calculated and analyzed before and after arecoline treatment. The burst characteristics of the dopaminergic neurons were also analyzed. The results showed that arecoline evoked a significant enhancement of the firing rate of dopaminergic neurons, but not GABAergic neurons. Moreover, arecoline evoked remarkable burst firings in the dopaminergic neurons, including an increase in the burst rate, elongation in the burst duration, and an enhancement in the number of spikes per burst. Collectively, the findings revealed that arecoline significantly excited VTA dopaminergic neurons, which may be a mechanism underlying areca nut dependency and a potential target for areca nut cessation therapy.

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“…For central DA, its pathway originates from the ventral tegmentum area (VTA) and is highly involved in the regulation of fear conditioning and extinction [ 51 ]. In terms of fear conditioning, Fadok and colleagues demonstrated that the restoration of DA synthesis within the VTA resolved impairments resulting from cue-dependent conditioning in DA-deficient mice [ 52 ].…”

Section: Therapeutic Mechanisms Of Pharmacological Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pharmacological Implications of Adjusting Abnormal Fear Memory: Towards the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Lin

Liu

2022

Pharmaceuticals

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a unique clinical mental abnormality presenting a cluster of symptoms in which patients primarily experience flashbacks, nightmares and uncontrollable thoughts about the event that triggered their PTSD. Patients with PTSD may also have comorbid depression and anxiety in an intractable and long-term course, which makes establishing a comprehensive treatment plan difficult and complicated. The present article reviews current pharmacological manipulations for adjusting abnormal fear memory. The roles of the central monoaminergic systems (including serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine) within the fear circuit areas and the involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and glucocorticoid receptor (GR) are explored based on attempts to integrate current clinical and preclinical basic studies. In this review, we explain how these therapeutic paradigms function based on their connections to stages of the abnormal fear memory process from condition to extinction. This may provide useful translational interpretations for clinicians to manage PTSD.

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Ventral Tegmental Area Dysfunction and Disruption of Dopaminergic Homeostasis: Implications for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Cited by 10 publications

References 128 publications

Ventral tegmental area dopaminergic action in music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review

Ventral tegmental area dopaminergic action in music therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder: A literature review

Arecoline Induces an Excitatory Response in Ventral Tegmental Area Dopaminergic Neurons in Anesthetized Rats

Pharmacological Implications of Adjusting Abnormal Fear Memory: Towards the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

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