Anterior Cingulate Cortex Contributes to the Hyperlocomotion under Nitrogen Narcosis.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Hyperbaric Medicine
• Behavioral Pharmacology

Background:

• Nitrogen narcosis is a neurological condition caused by hyperbaric nitrogen exposure, leading to motor, emotional, and cognitive deficits.
• The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays a role in regulating behavior, but its specific involvement in nitrogen narcosis is unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of the ACC in regulating hyperlocomotion induced by nitrogen narcosis.
• To elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying nitrogen narcosis-induced behavioral changes.

Main Methods:

• Mice were exposed to hyperbaric nitrogen to assess locomotor activity.
• Chemogenetics and genetic ablation were used to manipulate ACC neuronal activity.
• Electrophysiology (local field potentials) and tract tracing were employed to study neural circuits.

Main Results:

• Hyperbaric nitrogen increased locomotor activity in a pressure-dependent manner.
• ACC neuronal activation correlated with increased locomotion; manipulating ACC activity altered hyperlocomotion.
• ACC neurons project to the dorsal medial striatum (DMS), and inhibiting these projections reduced hyperlocomotion.

Conclusions:

• Excitatory neurons in the ACC are crucial for regulating hyperlocomotion during nitrogen narcosis.
• The ACC-DMS pathway is a key circuit involved in mediating the behavioral effects of nitrogen narcosis.