Region-specific alteration in brain glutamate: Possible relationship to risk-taking behavior

作者：Cortese Bernadette M; Mitchell Todd R; Galloway Matthew P; Prevost Kristen E; Fang Jidong; Moore Gregory J; Uhde Thomas W^*

来源：Physiology & Behavior, 2010, 99(4): 445-450.

DOI：10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.12.005

• Glutamate
• Risk taking
• Anxiety
• Fear
• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Sleep deprivation
• Rats
• Elevated plus maze
• Cortico-limbic circuit
• Medial prefrontal cortex
• Hippocampus
• Amygdala
• Thalamus
• High resolution-magic angle spinning proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HR-MAS. (1)H MRS)

Risk-taking behaviors involve increased motor activity and reduced anxiety in humans. Total sleep deprivation (SD) in animals produces a similar change in motor and fear behaviors. Investigators studied region-specific brain levels of glutamate in rats after TSD, an animal model of risk-taking behavior. We investigated the effects of sleep deprivation on these behaviors and associated levels of brain glutamate. Compared to the controls, the sleep-deprived rats spent a significantly greater percentage of time in the open arms of the elevated plus maze (EPM), demonstrating reduced fear-like and increased risk-taking behaviors. Additionally, sleep deprivation was associated with a significant increase in glutamate levels in the hippocampus and thalamus. An inverse relationship between glutamate in the medial prefrontal cortex and risk taking in the EPM and a positive association between the ratio of glutamate in the hippocampus to medial prefrontal cortex and risk taking was revealed. The role of sleep deprivation-induced changes in brain glutamate and its relationship to anxiety, fear, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is discussed.

• 出版日期2010-3-30