Rhythms, Reward, and Blues: Consequences of Circadian Photoperiod on Affective and Reward Circuit Function

Siemann, Justin K.; Grueter, Brad A.; McMahon, Douglas G.

doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2020.12.010

Cited by 7 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 247 publications

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“…Circadian photoperiod, or day length, is an environmental signal that synchronizes daily biological rhythms to local time and induces seasonal changes in behavior and physiology (Magnusson, 2003;Green et al, 2015;Siemann et al, 2021). While seasons in the temperate zones are marked by a variety of environmental changes, photoperiod is the most reliable environmental cue that encodes seasons and allows organisms to predict and adapt to seasonal changes to their environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While seasons in the temperate zones are marked by a variety of environmental changes, photoperiod is the most reliable environmental cue that encodes seasons and allows organisms to predict and adapt to seasonal changes to their environment. The amplitude of seasonal change in photoperiod varies by latitude, as does the prevalence of seasonal mood disorders (Rosen et al, 1990;Magnusson, 2003;Siemann et al, 2021). Bright light therapy treats seasonal mood disorders by increasing the duration of light a person experiences in a 24-hour day, effectively lengthening their photoperiod (Melrose, 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Photoperiod Impacts Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Dynamics

Jameson

Siemann

Melchior

et al. 2023

eNeuro

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Circadian photoperiod, or day length, changes with the seasons and influences behavior to allow animals to adapt to their environment. Photoperiod is also associated with seasonal rhythms of affective state, as evidenced by seasonality of several neuropsychiatric disorders. Interestingly, seasonality tends to be more prevalent in women for affective disorders such as Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorder. However, the underlying neurobiological processes contributing to sex-linked seasonality of affective behaviors are largely unknown. Mesolimbic dopamine input to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) contributes to the regulation of affective state and behaviors. Additionally, sex differences in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway are well-established. Therefore, we hypothesize that photoperiod may drive differential modulation of NAc dopamine in males and females. Here, we used fast-scan cyclic-voltammetry (FSCV) to explore whether photoperiod can modulate sub-second dopamine signaling dynamics in the NAc core of male and female mice raised in seasonally relevant photoperiods. We found that photoperiod modulates dopamine signaling in the NAc core, and that this effect is sex-specific to females. Both release and uptake of dopamine were enhanced in the NAc core of female mice raised in long, summer-like photoperiods, whereas we did not find photoperiodic effects on NAc core dopamine in males. These findings uncover a potential neural circuit basis for sex-linked seasonality in affective behaviors.Significance StatementDay length, or photoperiod, is a reliable indicator of the changing seasons, and is a powerful environmental cue influencing affective state and behavior. While studies have shown that photoperiod can modulate neurotransmitter systems involved in affective behavior, like the dopamine system, there are few studies examining effects of photoperiod on the synaptic level. Here we assess mesolimbic dopamine dynamics in mice maintained in seasonal photoperiods. We found a sex-specific effect wherein photoperiod modulates dopamine release from and uptake in dopaminergic terminals in the nucleus accumbens core of female mice with long summer-like photoperiods increasing dopamine release, thus uncovering a potential synaptic basis for sex-linked seasonality in affective behaviors.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Photoperiod Impacts Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Dynamics

Jameson

Siemann

Melchior

et al. 2023

eNeuro

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“…Previous work from our group has demonstrated critical periods of prenatal and perinatal development that are sensitive to photoperiod. In these critical periods of development, photoperiod can have lasting impact on circadian clock gene expression, circadian behavior, monoamine gene expression, and monoamine signaling ( Ciarleglio et al, 2011 ; Siemann et al, 2021 ; Siemann et al, 2020 ; Siemann et al, 2019 ). Recently, using the same mouse model, we have shown that photoperiod sequentially programs the serotonin system during prenatal and postnatal development ( Siemann, et al, 2019 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of age and sex on photoperiod modulation of nucleus accumbens monoamine content and release in adolescence and adulthood

Jameson,

Siemann,

Grueter

et al. 2024

Neurobiology of Sleep and Circadian Rhythms

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“…Preclinical evidence further demonstrates the bidirectional relationship between mood disorders and the circadian system in mice, in which manipulation of serotonin receptors themselves induced circadian disruption (73). External circadian factors, such as light at the wrong time in a mouse model, also induce signs of depression (74), mediated by intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells and their projections to hypothalamic, preoptic, and limbic regions, such as the amygdala (75).…”

Section: Metabolism and Diabetesmentioning

confidence: 98%

Circadian disruption and human health

Fishbein¹,

Knutson²,

Zee³

2021

Journal of Clinical Investigation

169

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Circadian (circa, "about," and diem, "day") rhythms are endogenous oscillations with an approximately 24-hour cycle. Circadian rhythms in physiology and behavior are organized by a central "master" clock, the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) located in the anterior hypothalamus, that coordinates alignment between external synchronizing agents with circadian clocks in other brain regions, as well as in peripheral tissues. Circadian rhythms are modulated by endogenous (genetic, physiological) as well as environmental (light) and behavioral (activity, feeding) factors. In this Review, we use "circadian disruption" as a nonspecific umbrella term to describe a disturbance, dysregulation, or problem that negatively affects circadian function, but as Vetter has pointed out, there is a need for clearer terminology and quantification of circadian disruption (1). It is becoming increasingly clear that circadian disruption in humans can result in broad and significant consequences for mental and physical health (2, 3). Furthermore, changes in circadian function are often accompanied by sleep-wake disturbances, which also contribute to poor health outcomes. The interrelationship between circadian rhythms and human disease can create a vicious cycle between disease expression and circadian disruption, as exemplified in immunologic (4, 5), cardiometabolic (6), neurodegenerative, and psychiatric disorders (7). General mechanisms of circadian disruptionIn humans, measures of circadian disruption include the phase (timing), relationship between internal-internal or internal-external rhythms (alignment), the period and amplitude of circadian rhythms. Disturbance of circadian phase alignment and amplitude are the most common measures that have been associated with adverse health consequences. As outlined in Figure 1, circadian disruption can occur at multiple levels, from intrinsic changes at the molecular, cellular, tissue, or system level to misalignment among different organizational levels and/or with behavioral and environmental cycles. The "molecular circadian clock" refers to genes that maintain autoregulatory feedback loops in which oscillating outputs regulate their own expression (circadian locomotor output cycles kaput [CLOCK], brain and muscle ARNTlike [BMAL], period [PER], rev-erb/nuclear receptor subfamily 1, group D [NR1D], and cryptochrome [CRY]; ref. 4). Biomarkers of circadian rhythm and circadian disruptionAlthough the SCN rhythm cannot be directly measured in humans, the timing of melatonin onset and amplitude measured in plasma or saliva, or the melatonin metabolite 6-sulfatoxymelatonin in urine, are gold standard biomarkers of circadian rhythms. The collection of 24-hour urine samples is particularly useful to assess circadian amplitude of melatonin in special populations, such as pediatric patients in whom blood or salivary samples might be difficult to obtain (8), and has been shown to be a useful treatment-responsive biomarker of circadian disruption in neurologic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) (9)...

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Rhythms, Reward, and Blues: Consequences of Circadian Photoperiod on Affective and Reward Circuit Function

Cited by 7 publications

References 247 publications

Photoperiod Impacts Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Dynamics

Photoperiod Impacts Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine Dynamics

Effects of age and sex on photoperiod modulation of nucleus accumbens monoamine content and release in adolescence and adulthood

Circadian disruption and human health

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