The ventrolateral periaqueductal grey updates fear via positive prediction error

Aversive, positive prediction error (+PE) provides a mechanism to update and increase future fear to uncertain threat predictors. The ventrolateral periaqueductal grey (vlPAG) has been offered as a neural locus for +PE computation. Yet, a causal demonstration of vlPAG +PE activity to update fear remains elusive. We devised a fear discrimination procedure in which a danger cue predicts shock deterministically and an uncertainty cue predicts shock probabilistically, requiring prediction errors to achieve an appropriate fear response. Recording vlPAG single‐unit activity during fear discrimination in Long‐Evans rats, we reveal activity related to shock is consistent with +PE and updates subsequent fear to uncertainty at the trial level. We further demonstrate that vlPAG inhibition during shock selectively decreases future fear to uncertainty, but not danger, and temporal emergence of this effect is consistent with single‐unit activity. These findings provide causal evidence that vlPAG +PE is necessary for fear updating.     

Partitioning heritability analyses unveil the genetic architecture of human brain multidimensional functional connectivity patterns

Resting‐state functional connectivity profiles have been increasingly shown to be important endophenotypes that are tightly linked to human cognitive functions and psychiatric diseases, yet the genetic architecture of this multidimensional trait is barely understood. Using a unique sample of 1,704 unrelated, young and healthy Chinese Han individuals, we revealed a significant heritability of functional connectivity patterns in the whole brain and several subnetworks. We further proposed a partitioned heritability analysis for multidimensional functional connectivity patterns, which revealed the common and unique enrichment patterns of the genetic contributions to brain connectivity patterns for several gene sets linked to brain functions, including the genes expressed preferentially in the central nervous system and those associated with intelligence, educational attainment, attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and schizophrenia. These results for the first time reveal the genetic architecture of multidimensional brain connectivity patterns across different networks and advance our understanding of the complex relationship between gene sets, neural networks, and behaviors.     

The Association of a Mediterranean-Style Diet Pattern with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Status in a Community Cohort Study

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common condition in reproductive-aged women. While lifestyle management is first-line treatment in PCOS, the dietary intake of women with PCOS is unclear and there is no research assessing dietary patterns of women with and without PCOS. The aim of this study was to examine dietary patterns in a large cohort of women with and without PCOS. Data were from 7569 participants in the 1973–1978 cohort of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health population assessed at 2009 (Survey 5) (n = 414 PCOS, n = 7155 non-PCOS). Dietary patterns were evaluated using factor analysis and multiple logistic regressions assessed their associations with PCOS status. Three dietary patterns were identified that explained 27% of the variance in food intake between women with and without PCOS: Non-core foods; Meats and take-away and Mediterranean-style. The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern was independently associated with PCOS status. On adjusted analysis for each 1 SD increase in the Mediterranean-style dietary pattern, there was a 26% greater likelihood that women had PCOS. This may indicate an improvement in the quality of dietary intake following a diagnosis of PCOS. Future research should examine the contribution of dietary patterns to the incidence and severity of PCOS and the potential for modification of dietary patterns in the lifestyle management of PCOS.     

中学生家庭应激源与物质主义价值观的关系:亲子依恋的中介作用

目的:考察中学生物质主义价值观与家庭应激源、亲子依恋的关系。方法:采用青少年物质主义价值观量表、家庭压力量表和青少年父母与同伴依恋问卷中的父母分问卷,对江苏某高中1344名学生进行调查。结果:家庭应激源显著正向预测中学生物质主义价值观水平,亲子依恋显著负向预测中学生物质主义价值观水平;中介回归分析结果显示,在考虑亲子依恋的影响时,家庭应激源对中学生物质主义价值水平的预测作用虽仍显著但已减弱。亲子依恋在家庭应激源与物质主义价值观之间的间接效应占总效应的13.30%,其90%置信区间为[0.003,0.024],P0.05。结论:亲子依恋在中学生家庭应激源和物质主义价值观水平之间起部分中介作用。     

小鼠条件性恐惧模型的建立和品系敏感性研究

目的在敏感品系上建立稳定可靠的小鼠条件性恐惧模型。方法采用给予30 s声音刺激(85 dB,5000 Hz),后2 s伴随给予不可逃避的足底电击(0.6 mA,持续2 s),声音-电击共配对5次,每次间隔2 min的方法建立小鼠条件性恐惧模型,在ICR、DBA/2(简称DBA)和C57BL/6J(简称C57)3种品系小鼠上评价场景恐惧和声音线索恐惧获得和表达的行为特点,以确定敏感品系鼠;分别于条件性恐惧训练第2,7,14,21和28天对C57小鼠场景恐惧和声音线索恐惧进行检测,以评价该品系小鼠条件性恐惧的自然消退特点;采用30 s声音+30 s间隔+10次消退训练的模式进行声音线索恐惧消退训练,并于24 h后进行消退保持测试,以评价该品系小鼠消退训练和保持的特点。结果声音-电击配对5次可成功诱导C57小鼠形成场景恐惧和声音线索恐惧,DBA小鼠可诱导形成声音线索恐惧但无法形成场景恐惧,ICR小鼠场景恐惧和声音线索恐惧均未诱导成功,确定C57小鼠为敏感品系鼠。C57小鼠呈现时间依赖的恐惧反应自然消退,其中场景恐惧在训练后第7天僵住百分率消退至(25±12)%,声音线索恐惧训练后第28天僵住百分率维持在(48±22)%;C57小鼠经10轮30 s声音消退训练,僵住时间百分率由(55±30)%消退至(32±27)%,但24 h后消退保持测试时僵住时间百分率又回升至(47±35)%。结论以敏感品系C57小鼠为研究对象,建立了恐惧获得、表达、自然消退、消退训练和消退保持各阶段恐惧行为检测的实验方法,成功建立小鼠条件性恐惧模型。