Adolescence is a developmental stage in humans that is characterized by dramatic changes in an individual's biology and their behavior. It is also a period during which individuals may begin using psychostimulant drugs, whether for therapeutic or recreational purposes. Repeated exposure to these drugs is associated with deficits in memory, decision making, impulse control, and reward processing, and these adverse consequences on cognition may persist through extended periods of drug abstinence. Thus, it is critically important to understand the neurobiological processes that mediate drug-induced changes in behavior and to determine how adolescents, compared to adults, are particularly vulnerable. Our long-term goal in these studies is to understand the neuroadaptations induced by amphetamine in corticolimbic regions of the adolescent brain and determine how these changes can be prevented or reversed. In the proposed studies, we will use behavioral, pharmacological, and electrophysiological techniques in animal models of adolescence and adulthood to address two aims.
In Aim 1, we will determine if changes in dopamine and NMDA receptor function in the mPFC are responsible for the enduring deficits in cognitive behavior induced by amphetamine exposure during adolescence.
In Aim 2, we will determine the basis of the long-lasting functional changes in mPFC neurons that are observed in adolescent- compared to adult-exposed individuals. Our working hypotheses are that, 1) adolescent-exposed rats, when tested as adults, will be more sensitive to drug-induced deficits in cognitive function and to selective manipulations of dopamine and NMDA receptors, compared to those exposed as adults;2) the effects of repeated amphetamine treatment on the intrinsic firing properties, NMDA-dependent long term potentiation, and dopamine receptor-mediated responses of mPFC neurons are enhanced in adolescent- compared to adult-exposed individuals;and 3) the effects of this exposure on the in vivo responses of mPFC neurons to amphetamine and dopamine or NMDA receptor selective drugs will be greater in adolescent- compared to adult-exposed individuals. These hypotheses are consistent with our preliminary studies, which show that that exposure to amphetamine during adolescence impairs behavior on an mPFC-sensitive working memory task and alters the intrinsic firing properties of layer V pyramidal cells recorded in vitro. Through the research proposed in this application, we seek to fill the large gaps in our knowledge about what makes the brain and behavior of adolescence so uniquely different from adults and increases their vulnerability to the adverse consequences of repeated drug exposure. By understanding the unique plasticity of the adolescent brain, we will likely identify targets for preventative or therapeutic strategies aimed at ameliorating the adverse consequences of repeated amphetamine exposure during adolescence. In addition, we anticipate our results will move the field towards a clearer understanding of the unique effects of psychostimulants during this critical period of neural and behavioral development.

Public Health Relevance

The results of these experiments in animal models will help clarify the neurobiological underpinnings of the heightened vulnerability of adolescents to the detrimental consequences of amphetamine exposure. By understanding the unique neural and behavioral processes of adolescence, neuroscience we will be able to make significant advances in our attempts to more effectively prevent and treat the behavioral adaptations, including cognitive deficits, that result from drug exposure early in life.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA029815-03
Application #
8416995
Study Section
Neurobiology of Motivated Behavior Study Section (NMB)
Program Officer
Lynch, Minda
Project Start
2011-02-01
Project End
2016-01-31
Budget Start
2013-02-01
Budget End
2014-01-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2013
Total Cost
$293,119
Indirect Cost
$101,119
Name
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Department
Psychology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
041544081
City
Champaign
State
IL
Country
United States
Zip Code
61820
Westbrook, Sara R; Hankosky, Emily R; Dwyer, Megan R et al. (2018) Age and sex differences in behavioral flexibility, sensitivity to reward value, and risky decision-making. Behav Neurosci 132:75-87
Sherrill, Luke K; Gulley, Joshua M (2018) Effects of amphetamine exposure during adolescence on behavior and prelimbic cortex neuron activity in adulthood. Brain Res 1694:111-120
Hankosky, Emily R; Westbrook, Sara R; Haake, Rachel M et al. (2018) Age- and sex-dependent effects of methamphetamine on cognitive flexibility and 5-HT2C receptor localization in the orbitofrontal cortex of Sprague-Dawley rats. Behav Brain Res 349:16-24
Westbrook, Sara R; Kang, Minsu; Sherrill, Luke K et al. (2018) Sex differences in adolescent ethanol drinking to behavioral intoxication. J Exp Anal Behav 110:54-62
Hankosky, Emily R; Westbrook, Sara R; Haake, Rachel M et al. (2018) Reduced sensitivity to reinforcement in adolescent compared to adult Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 235:861-871
Kang, Shuo; Cox, Charles L; Gulley, Joshua M (2018) High frequency stimulation-induced plasticity in the prelimbic cortex of rats emerges during adolescent development and is associated with an increase in dopamine receptor function. Neuropharmacology 141:158-166
Hammerslag, Lindsey R; Belagodu, Amogh P; Aladesuyi Arogundade, Olubankole A et al. (2017) Adolescent impulsivity as a sex-dependent and subtype-dependent predictor of impulsivity, alcohol drinking and dopamine D2 receptor expression in adult rats. Addict Biol :
Walker, Deena M; Bell, Margaret R; Flores, Cecilia et al. (2017) Adolescence and Reward: Making Sense of Neural and Behavioral Changes Amid the Chaos. J Neurosci 37:10855-10866
Paul, Kush; Kang, Shuo; Cox, Charles L et al. (2016) Repeated exposure to amphetamine during adolescence alters inhibitory tone in the medial prefrontal cortex following drug re-exposure in adulthood. Behav Brain Res 309:9-13
Kang, Shuo; Wu, Mariah M; Galvez, Roberto et al. (2016) Timing of amphetamine exposure in relation to puberty onset determines its effects on anhedonia, exploratory behavior, and dopamine D1 receptor expression in young adulthood. Neuroscience 339:72-84

Showing the most recent 10 out of 19 publications