网络游戏成瘾的奖赏加工缺陷及其神经机制

奖赏加工异常是网络游戏成瘾（internet gaming disorder，IGD）核心特征之一，近期研究结合认知神经科学技术对IGD的神经机制进行探讨发现，IGD与药物成瘾存在相似的神经基础，但仍然存在较多争议。本文从奖赏类型、奖赏加工阶段梳理了IGD人群奖赏加工的研究进展。IGD人群在游戏相关线索下，奖赏预期（reward anticipation）阶段的奖赏系统激活可能与注意偏向、情绪体验和渴求感增加有关。同时，IGD人群对自然奖赏表现出较为一致的低敏感性，该特征主要出现在结果评估（outcome evaluation）阶段。未来研究可以排除共病因素、结合生动的游戏奖赏刺激，进一步探究奖赏预期和结果评估异常如何推动IGD的发展。     

脑内多巴胺信号动态变化的检测方法及在成瘾研究中的应用

多巴胺是脑内重要的神经递质,中脑多巴胺系统在控制奖赏、动机、运动和情绪调节过程中起重要作用。脑内多巴胺功能紊乱与药物依赖、精神分裂症、抑郁症和帕金森氏病等神经精神障碍有关,动态测定脑内多巴胺变化对于了解多巴胺功能和揭示相关疾病病理机制具有重要意义。本文主要介绍了微透析、快速扫描循环伏安法和光纤光度法的基本原理和方法,并对比分析了这些技术在多巴胺动态检测应用中的优缺点。以药物成瘾研究为应用实例,利用微透析法发现伏隔核壳部是成瘾性药物产生奖赏效应的关键部位,快速扫描循环伏安法检测到与可卡因自身给药行为相关的三种多巴胺信号模式,而光纤光度法则揭示了酒精成瘾和复吸过程中伏隔核和中脑复侧被盖区多巴胺活动特征存在空间和时间上的多样性。这些发现为揭示药物成瘾的机制做出了重要贡献。     

网络成瘾的生物学机制研究与展望

网络成瘾是指由于过度使用网络而导致社会及心理损害的现象,危害极大,故受到广泛关注。网络成瘾主要受生物学机制的调控。在脑神经机制方面,通过对成瘾者的自发脑电、事件相关电位以及成瘾者静息态BOLD-f MRI的分析,发现成瘾者脑功能区出现异常。同时,网络成瘾也受到自主神经功能的影响。另外,脑内奖赏系统和成瘾记忆模型也可能成为引发网络成瘾的脑神经机制。体内化学物质的失衡也能引发网络成瘾。鉴于此,一些治疗方法如药物干预、行为干预、认知干预以及综合干预疗法使得根治网络成瘾成为可能。本文拟从网络成瘾的概念、表现特点、不良影响及其发生的生物学机制等方面的研究进展进行阐述,以期为相关研究提供一些有价值的参考依据。     

基于ALFF和动态功能连接的槟榔成瘾的研究

槟榔(Betel Quid)是世界上使用最广泛的精神活性物质之一,长期嚼食会使人上瘾,给人体健康带来危害.敏感且高分辨率的神经成像技术的出现,使研究者对嚼食槟榔成瘾的神经病理学有了新的见解.本文基于静息态功能磁共振成像(rs-fMRI)数据,首次提出通过对槟榔成瘾者(BQD)和正常对照(HC)的7大脑功能网络上的低频振幅(ALFF)的幅值进行了Logistic回归以及回归系数的显著性检验来发现槟榔成瘾者存在异常的脑功能网络,该方法准确度较高且易于实现;其次,通过成组独立成分分析(Group ICA)和K-means聚类分析比较两组被试的动态功能连接的差异,由此探讨槟榔成瘾对脑功能网络和脑功能连接的影响.研究发现,槟榔成瘾者的小脑网络与正常人相比存在较为显著的差异.我们推断这可能与小脑调节躯体运动和涉及成瘾行为等生理机能有关.这一发现打破了以往人们对于小脑功能的认知,引导人们将成瘾机制与小脑网络的非运动功能结合起来进行研究,对研究槟榔成瘾这一公共健康问题以及发展针对槟榔成瘾的特异性治疗方法具有重要意义.     

奖赏记忆改善焦虑行为的小鼠模型及机制初探

焦虑是当今社会最普遍的精神障碍之一.药物疗法和心理疗法是焦虑症的主要治疗手段,后者因无副作用且不易反复而倍受重视.在焦虑症的心理行为疗法中,奖赏记忆缓解焦虑的模型及机制是一个重要的科学问题.对这一问题的研究将有助于理解其内在机制并开发更好的治疗焦虑症的方法.基于经典的小鼠焦虑行为评测工具——高架十字迷宫,我们首先考查了焦虑评测结合行为训练的可行性,发现小鼠在高架十字迷宫上反复评测后行为达到稳态,则可通过在开放臂末端设置食物奖赏来研究奖赏记忆对焦虑行为的影响;然后通过实验证明短期奖赏训练和无奖赏的强制开放臂暴露不能改善焦虑行为;进而确定并验证了奖赏训练改善焦虑行为的正确方式;最后在此行为模型中应用有致遗忘效应的蛋白激酶C的抑制剂白屈菜赤碱(chelerythrine),发现奖赏记忆形成被抑制伴随着焦虑行为改善的削弱.初步揭示了此行为模型涉及的细胞分子机制.     

青春期社会奖赏行为性别差异的催产素和多巴胺调控机制

社交互动的奖励特性对于社会行为的表达和适应性社会关系的发展至关重要。当个体受到应激时会导致奖赏系统异常而缺乏社会交往,出现情绪障碍并具有性二态。青春期发育中社会奖赏行为存在显著的性别差异,男性对社会奖赏敏感性大于女性;相反,女性对社会惩罚的敏感性高于男性。在青春期发育过程中,催产素/加压素(OT/AVP)、多巴胺(DA)系统在奖赏环路的性别差异及OT/AVP受体基因表达的多态性,是奖赏行为及情绪障碍性二态的原因,揭示OT-社会奖赏-情绪障碍性二态三者交互作用的神经机制,对开展精神疾病治疗有重要指导意义。     

抑郁症相关的静息态脑功能网络异常

近年来,静息态脑功能磁共振成像(resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, rf MRI)被大量用于揭示抑郁个体脑功能网络的异常,主要体现在默认网络、认知控制网络和情绪网络各自内部及三大网络之间交互作用方面.与正常人相比,抑郁个体默认网络内部的异常主要表现为前部功能连接增强而后部功能连接减弱,前后两部分的异常可能有着分离的模式;认知控制网络内部的异常表现为功能连接减弱;而在情绪网络内部,抑郁个体的异常主要表现为边缘系统功能连接增强以及奖赏回路功能连接减弱.抑郁症对不同网络之间交互作用的影响主要体现在各个网络代表节点之间的功能连接异常.这些功能网络之间的交互异常可能反映了抑郁个体大脑在资源分配以及信息整合两方面存在缺陷.基于当前研究存在的不足,未来研究可关注抑郁症的多维度大数据整合和个体化研究,并将抑郁症与其他精神疾病脑网络异常的共性与特异性进行比较,在更深入揭示抑郁症神经机制的基础上为临床诊断和干预提供有效的生物学标记.     

食欲素神经肽在应激过程中的作用

食欲素因其在调节能量代谢、睡眠和唤醒等生理功能中的作用而备受关注.近年来研究逐渐发现,食欲素参与应激和奖赏过程的调节,特别是其在药物成瘾过程中的作用是目前的研究热点.主要介绍食欲素系统与应激相关系统之间的神经联系,阐述了其在应激相关的生理、神经内分泌与行为反应中的作用.并进一步介绍了食欲素系统在应激诱发药物成瘾复吸过程中的作用.食欲素对应激反应的调控作用具有相对特异性,受应激的种类、其他应激相关神经递质系统及食欲素神经元的投射通路等多种因素影响.     

中脑多巴胺神经元位相性兴奋与行为强化

生理状态下,突然呈现的奖赏刺激可以诱发机体中脑多巴胺能神经元产生位相性兴奋。近期有研究认为,这种位相性兴奋直接反映了机体对奖赏的预期与实际奖赏间的差异,而此兴奋所导致的多巴胺释放可显著改变多巴胺能神经支配区域多巴胺的浓度,影响纹状体及其它边缘皮层区神经元的兴奋性,并介导神经突触效能发生长时程改变。经此方式,奖赏相关的环境变化对机体的行为产生即时和长期影响,这一过程可能是自然奖赏物及成瘾药物产生行为强化效应的基础之一。     

内感受对成瘾行为的诱导及其岛叶的调控机制

内感受是机体对自身生理状态的感觉.近年来,越来越多的研究证据表明,内感受可以调控成瘾行为,岛叶是其发挥作用的重要神经基础之一.目前,对岛叶作用机制的研究正受到高度重视.本文从岛叶的基本结构和功能出发,结合近几年来岛叶调控成瘾行为、行为抑制以及情感决策的重要发现,讨论岛叶在成瘾发生及发展过程中的可能作用及其机制,并根据已有的实验证据,试图提出较为合理的研究展望,以推动相关神经环路和神经化学机制研究的深入.     

Contemporary approaches to neural circuit manipulation and mapping: focus on reward and addiction

Tying complex psychological processes to precisely defined neural circuits is a major goal of systems and behavioural neuroscience. This is critical for understanding adaptive behaviour, and also how neural systems are altered in states of psychopathology, such as addiction. Efforts to relate psychological processes relevant to addiction to activity within defined neural circuits have been complicated by neural heterogeneity. Recent advances in technology allow for manipulation and mapping of genetically and anatomically defined neurons, which when used in concert with sophisticated behavioural models, have the potential to provide great insight into neural circuit bases of behaviour. Here we discuss contemporary approaches for understanding reward and addiction, with a focus on midbrain dopamine and cortico-striato-pallidal circuits.     

Anything you can do, you can do better: neural substrates of incentive-based performance enhancement

Performance-based pay schemes in many organizations share the fundamental assumption that the performance level for a given task will increase as a function of the amount of incentive provided. Consistent with this notion, psychological studies have demonstrated that expectations of reward can improve performance on a plethora of different cognitive and physical tasks, ranging from problem solving to the voluntary regulation of heart rate. However, much less is understood about the neural mechanisms of incentivized performance enhancement. In particular, it is still an open question how brain areas that encode expectations about reward are able to translate incentives into improved performance across fundamentally different cognitive and physical task requirements.     

食物成瘾及其神经环路调控机制

食物成瘾是指人们对某些特定食物（高度加工、可口、高热量的食物）的依赖性达到难以控制的程度,并表现出一系列成瘾样的行为学变化,具有强迫性、长期性和反复性的特点。食物成瘾可引起肥胖症,而且是大部分人不能维持减肥效果或坚持限制性饮食以保持健康体重的核心因素。深入理解食物成瘾及其神经生物学机制,将为干预食物成瘾以改善肥胖提供准确的靶点。食物成瘾的诊断标准是耶鲁大学食物成瘾量表,而食物成瘾的动物模型为小鼠食物自我管理模型。外侧下丘脑-腹侧被盖区-伏隔核神经环路、腹侧被盖区-前边缘皮质-伏隔核神经环路和外侧隔核-结节核神经环路是调控食物成瘾的关键神经环路机制。     

Food reward, hyperphagia, and obesity

Given the unabated obesity problem, there is increasing appreciation of expressions like "my eyes are bigger than my stomach," and recent studies in rodents and humans suggest that dysregulated brain reward pathways may be contributing not only to drug addiction but also to increased intake of palatable foods and ultimately obesity. After describing recent progress in revealing the neural pathways and mechanisms underlying food reward and the attribution of incentive salience by internal state signals, we analyze the potentially circular relationship between palatable food intake, hyperphagia, and obesity. Are there preexisting individual differences in reward functions at an early age, and could they be responsible for development of obesity later in life? Does repeated exposure to palatable foods set off a cascade of sensitization as in drug and alcohol addiction? Are reward functions altered by secondary effects of the obese state, such as increased signaling through inflammatory, oxidative, and mitochondrial stress pathways? Answering these questions will significantly impact prevention and treatment of obesity and its ensuing comorbidities as well as eating disorders and drug and alcohol addiction.     

New perspectives on cocaine addiction: recent findings from animal research

Research with laboratory animals has provided several insights into the nature of cocaine abuse and addiction. First, the nature of drug addiction has been reevaluated and the emphasis has shifted from physical dependence to compulsive drug-taking behavior. Second, animal studies suggest that cocaine is at least as addictive as heroin and possibly even more addictive. Third, cocaine is potentially more dangerous than heroin as evidenced by the higher fatality rate seen in laboratory animals given unlimited access to these drugs. Fourth, the neural basis of cocaine reinforcement has been identified and involves an enhancement of dopaminergic neurotransmission in the ventral tegmental dopamine system. Other addictive drugs (e.g., opiates) may also derive at least part of their reinforcing impact by pharmacologically activating this reward system. Fifth, although the biological consequences of repeated cocaine self-administration on central nervous system functioning are poorly understood, preliminary findings suggest that intravenous cocaine self-administration may decrease neural functioning in this brain reward system. This has important clinical implications because diminished functioning of an important brain reward system may significantly contribute to relapse into cocaine addiction. These and other findings from experimentation with laboratory animals suggest new considerations for the etiology and treatment of drug addiction.     

Approche cognitivo-comportementale de l’addiction à la cocaïne

Cocaine addiction has medical, psychological, cognitive, social, and legal consequences. For a while confined to a targeted audience, epidemiological data show that cocaine addiction considerably “increases” in Europe and reaches all social categories, including socialized people. The cognitive-behavioral approach provides a conceptual frame allowing a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in at the beginning and all along the cocaine addiction. Consumption and addiction to cocaine are then considered learned behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapies applied to the treatment of cocaine addiction include different therapeutic techniques that modify maladjusted behaviors, thoughts, and feelings leading to consumption. On a pharmacologic point of view, there is no drug treatment for this disorder, even though promising tracks emerged, especially the N-acétylcystéine.     

Automated Visual Cognitive Tasks for Recording Neural Activity Using a Floor Projection Maze

Neuropsychological tasks used in primates to investigate mechanisms of learning and memory are typically visually guided cognitive tasks. We have developed visual cognitive tasks for rats using the Floor Projection Maze^1,2 that are optimized for visual abilities of rats permitting stronger comparisons of experimental findings with other species.In order to investigate neural correlates of learning and memory, we have integrated electrophysiological recordings into fully automated cognitive tasks on the Floor Projection Maze^1,2. Behavioral software interfaced with an animal tracking system allows monitoring of the animal''s behavior with precise control of image presentation and reward contingencies for better trained animals. Integration with an in vivo electrophysiological recording system enables examination of behavioral correlates of neural activity at selected epochs of a given cognitive task.We describe protocols for a model system that combines automated visual presentation of information to rodents and intracranial reward with electrophysiological approaches. Our model system offers a sophisticated set of tools as a framework for other cognitive tasks to better isolate and identify specific mechanisms contributing to particular cognitive processes.     

Morphine-element interactions – The influence of selected chemical elements on neural pathways associated with addiction

Addiction is a pressing social problem worldwide and opioid dependence can be considered the strongest and most difficult addiction to treat. Mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic pathways play an important role in modulation of cognitive processes and decision making and, therefore, changes in dopamine metabolism are considered the central basis for the development of dependence. Disturbances caused by excesses or deficiency of certain elements have a significant impact on the functioning of the central nervous system (CNS) both in physiological conditions and in pathology and can affect the cerebral reward system and therefore, may modulate processes associated with the development of addiction. In this paper we review the mechanisms of interactions between morphine and zinc, manganese, chromium, cadmium, lead, fluoride, their impact on neural pathways associated with addiction, and on antinociception and morphine tolerance and dependence.