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Elucidando un circuito de dolor afectivo que crea un recuerdo de amenaza

Sung Han¹, Matthew T Soleiman², Marta E Soden³

¹Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

|July 18, 2015

Resumen

Los científicos han identificado una vía neuronal clave para la memoria de amenazas. Las neuronas del péptido relacionado con el gen de la calcitonina (CGRP) en el cerebro transmiten señales de dolor a la amígdala, cruciales para aprender a evitar el peligro.

Área de la Ciencia:

La neurociencia
Investigación del dolor
Aprendizaje y memoria

Sus antecedentes:

El aprendizaje aversivo, la formación de recuerdos de amenazas, es vital para la supervivencia y depende de la amígdala en los mamíferos.
Las vías neuronales precisas que transmiten señales de dolor a la amígdala para la formación de la memoria de amenaza siguen siendo incompletamente entendidas.
El dolor es un impulsor principal del aprendizaje aversivo, pero su transmisión a los centros de memoria es una pregunta clave de investigación.

Objetivo del estudio:

Para dilucidar el circuito neuronal específico responsable de transmitir la información del dolor a la amígdala para la formación de la memoria de amenaza.
Investigar el papel del péptido relacionado con el gen de la calcitonina (CGRP) que expresa las neuronas en el núcleo parabraquial en el procesamiento del dolor y la memoria.
Para determinar si esta vía identificada media los componentes afectivos y motivacionales del dolor.

Principales métodos:

Utilizó el silenciamiento genético de las neuronas CGRP en el núcleo parabraquial para evaluar los efectos en las respuestas al dolor y la memoria.
Empleó estimulación optogenética de las neuronas CGRP para observar comportamientos defensivos y la inducción de la memoria de amenaza.
Investigó el papel de las neuronas que expresan el receptor CGRP en la amígdala central en el establecimiento de la memoria de amenaza.

Principales resultados:

Las neuronas que expresan CGRP en el núcleo parabraquial son esenciales para transmitir señales de dolor a la amígdala central.
La inactivación genética de las neuronas CGRP abolió las respuestas al dolor y la formación de recuerdos de amenazas.
La activación optogenética de estas neuronas CGRP indujo con éxito comportamientos defensivos y una memoria de amenaza aprendida.

Conclusiones:

La vía neural que expresa CGRP desde el núcleo parabraquial hasta la amígdala central es crítica para el aprendizaje aversivo y la memoria de amenazas.
Este circuito parece estar involucrado en la transducción de los aspectos afectivo-motivacionales del dolor.
La comprensión de esta vía ofrece objetivos terapéuticos potenciales para las afecciones de dolor, especialmente aquellas con comorbilidades psiquiátricas.

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