Browsing by Author "Ma, Baofeng"

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    Compulsive alcohol drinking in rodents is associated with altered representations of behavioral control and seeking in dorsal medial prefrontal cortex
    (Springer, 2022-07-09) Timme, Nicholas M.; Ma, Baofeng; Linsenbardt, David; Cornwell , Ethan; Galbari, Taylor; Lapish, Christopher C.; Psychology, School of Science
    A key feature of compulsive alcohol drinking is continuing to drink despite negative consequences. To examine the changes in neural activity that underlie this behavior, compulsive alcohol drinking was assessed in a validated rodent model of heritable risk for excessive drinking (alcohol preferring (P) rats). Neural activity was measured in dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC—a brain region involved in maladaptive decision-making) and assessed via change point analyses and novel principal component analyses. Neural population representations of specific decision-making variables were measured to determine how they were altered in animals that drink alcohol compulsively. Compulsive animals showed weakened representations of behavioral control signals, but strengthened representations of alcohol seeking-related signals. Finally, chemogenetic-based excitation of dmPFC prevented escalation of compulsive alcohol drinking. Collectively, these data indicate that compulsive alcohol drinking in rats is associated with alterations in dmPFC neural activity that underlie diminished behavioral control and enhanced seeking.
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    Impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency are associated with increased alcohol consumption in rodent models of excessive drinking
    (Wiley, 2021) De Falco, Emanuela; White, Shelby M.; Morningstar, Mitchell D.; Ma, Baofeng; Nkurunziza, Lionnel T.; Ahmed-Dilibe, Anisah; Wellman, Cara L.; Lapish, Christopher C.; Psychology, School of Science
    Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is characterized by impairments in decision-making that can exist as stable traits or transient states. Cognitive inflexibility reflects an inability to update information that guides decision-making and is thought to contribute to the inability to abstain from drinking. While several studies have reported evidence of impaired cognitive flexibility following chronic alcohol exposure, evidence that a pre-existing impairment in cognitive flexibility is a heritable risk factor for AUD is scarce. Here, we found that cognitive flexibility was impaired in rodents selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption (alcohol preferring (P) rats), on the attentional set-shifting task (ASST). Further, the degree of impairment is predictive of future ethanol consumption, thus suggesting that cognitive inflexibility is a stable trait capable of predisposing one for drinking. In a second set of experiments, we observed an impairment in the ability of P rats to use a previously learned rule to guide foraging in a simple discrimination task. Convergence across several behavioral measures suggested that this impairment reflected a state of heightened urgency that interfered with decision-making. A similar impairment on a simple discrimination task was observed in Wistar rats with a history of alcohol consumption. These findings indicate how trait and state variables-in this case, impaired cognitive flexibility and heightened urgency, respectively-may influence the risk for excessive drinking. Furthermore, our results suggest that cognitive inflexibility and urgency can exist as both risk factors for and the result of alcohol exposure.
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    Neural basis of cognitive control signals in anterior cingulate cortex during delay discounting
    (bioRxiv, 2024-06-08) Seamans, Jeremy K.; White, Shelby; Morningstar, Mitchell; Emberly, Eldon; Linsenbardt, David; Ma, Baofeng; Czachowski, Cristine L.; Lapish, Christopher C.; Anatomy, Cell Biology and Physiology, School of Medicine
    Cognitive control involves allocating cognitive effort according to internal needs and task demands and the Anterior Cingulate Cortex (ACC) is hypothesized to play a central role in this process. We investigated the neural basis of cognitive control in the ACC of rats performing an adjusting-amount delay discounting task. Decision-making in this this task can be guided by using either a lever-value tracking strategy, requiring a 'resource-based' form of cognitive effort or a lever-biased strategy requiring a 'resistance-based' form of cognitive effort. We found that ACC ensembles always tightly tracked lever value on each trial, indicative of a resource-based control signal. These signals were prevalent in the neural recordings and were influenced by the delay. A shorter delay was associated with devaluing of the immediate option and a longer delay was associated with overvaluing of the immediate option. In addition, ACC theta (6-12Hz) oscillations were observed at the choice point of rats exhibiting a resistance-based strategy. These data provide candidates of neural activity patterns in the ACC that underlie the use of 'resource-based' and 'resistance-based' cognitive effort. Furthermore, these data illustrate how strategies can be engaged under different conditions in individual subjects.