@phdthesis{Weber2022,
  author    = {Weber, Tanja},
  title     = {Untersuchung des Einflusses verschiedener Lebenserfahrungen und unterschiedlicher Serotoninhom{\"o}ostase auf die Neuromorphologie von Pyramidenzellen der CA3-Region des Hippocampus in M{\"a}usen},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-28354},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-283542},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Chronischer Stress hat negative Folgen, die sich im Verhalten und auf neuronaler Ebene {\"a}ußern k{\"o}nnen. Als besonders stressempfindlich gelten die Neurone der dritten Region des hippocampalen Ammonshorns CA3. Sie reagieren auch im bereits ausgereiften Zustand noch sehr sensibel auf {\"a}ußere Einfl{\"u}sse, was als neuronale Plastizit{\"a}t bezeichnet wird. Sie erfahren unter anderem durch Stress und Serotonin morphologische und funktionelle Ver{\"a}nderungen. Serotonin-Transporter wahren das Serotonin-Gleichgewicht, indem sie dessen Wirkung schließlich durch Wiederaufnahme in die Zellen beenden. Polymorphismen, also verschiedene Gen-Varianten, bedingen Unterschiede in der Zahl der verf{\"u}gbaren Transporter. Dieses Wechselspiel zwischen Gen-Varianten des Serotonin-Transporters und Stress wurde an Serotonin-Transporter-Knockout-M{\"a}usen untersucht. Einige M{\"a}use erfuhren bereits fr{\"u}h im Leben Stress, der entweder anhielt oder im sp{\"a}teren Leben positiven Erfahrungen wich; weitere M{\"a}use hingegen machten in fr{\"u}hen Lebensabschnitten positive Erfahrungen, die sich sp{\"a}ter entweder fortsetzten oder durch Stresserfahrungen ersetzt wurden. Nach Durchf{\"u}hrung von Verhaltenstests wurde zudem in deren Golgi-impr{\"a}gnierten Gehirnen die Morphologie der Apikaldendriten von CA3-Kurzschaft-Pyramidenzellen lichtmikroskopisch untersucht und in 3D-Computermodellen abgebildet. Aufgrund regionaler Eigenheiten innerhalb von CA3 wurden diese Neurone verschiedenen Subpopulationen zugeordnet. Tats{\"a}chlich konnten mithilfe der Kombination aus vier verschiedenen Lebensgeschichten und drei unterschiedlichen Serotonin-Transporter-Genotypen Unterschiede in der Morphologie der CA3-Pyramidenzellen zwischen den einzelnen Gruppen festgestellt werden. Ohne Stresserleben zeigten sich die Neurone meist signifikant verzweigter; nach Stresserleben zeigten sich, zumindest in einer bestimmten Subpopulation, signifikante Verminderungen der Spines. M{\"a}use mit zwei oder einem wildtypischen Serotonin-Transporter-Allel und ausschließlich sp{\"a}ten aversiven Erfahrungen hatten signifikant l{\"a}ngere Apikaldendriten als die Referenz mit zwei wildtypischen Allelen und ohne Stresserfahrung; homozygot Serotonin-Transporter-defiziente M{\"a}use der gleichen Lebensgeschichte hatten zur Referenz signifikant verk{\"u}rzte Apikaldendriten. Diese Ergebnisse lassen vermuten, dass Stress in Verbindung mit genetisch bedingt geringen Mengen des Serotonin-Transporters durchaus eine erh{\"o}hte Vulnerabilit{\"a}t f{\"u}r psychische Erkrankungen bedingen k{\"o}nnte, aber dass ausschließlich sp{\"a}te Stresserfahrungen bei h{\"o}heren Mengen des Serotonin-Transporters auch protektiv wirken k{\"o}nnten.},
  subject      = {Ammonshorn},
  language  = {de}
}
@phdthesis{Klinke2022,
  author    = {Klinke, Christopher Matthias},
  title     = {Experimental investigation of the effect of distal stress induction on threat conditioning in humans},
  doi       = {10.25972/OPUS-22556},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-225562},
  school      = {Universit{\"a}t W{\"u}rzburg},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Stress constitutes a major risk factor for the development of psychiatric disorders, such as PTSD and anxiety disorders, by shifting the brain into a state of sensitization and makes it more vulnerable when being exposed to further aversive events. This was experimentally in-vestigated in rodents by examining the effect of a distal stress induction on threat conditioning, where stress impaired extinction learning and caused spontaneous recovery. However, this effect has never been experimentally investigated in humans, so far. Thus, the aim of this dissertation was to investigate the effect of distal stress on threat conditioning in humans. Therefore, two subsequent studies were conducted. For both studies, the threat conditioning paradigm comprised threat acquisition, extinction learning, and re-extinction. In the threat acquisition phase, two geometrical shapes were used as conditioned stimulus (CS), from which one (CS+) was paired with a painful electric stimulus (unconditioned stimulus, US), but not the other one (CS-). During extinction learning 24 h later and re-extinction seventeen days later, CSs were again presented but without any US delivery. In Study 1, 69 participants underwent either a stress (socially evaluated cold pressor test; SECPT) or sham protocol 10 days prior to threat conditioning. Furthermore, context effects were examined by placing the stress protocol in the same context (context-A stress, and sham group) or a different context (context-B stress group) than conditioning. Results revealed that the context-A, but not context-B, stress group displayed impaired safety learning (i.e. potenti-ation towards CS-) for startle response during threat acquisition. Moreover, the same stress group showed impaired threat extinction, evident in sustained CS discrimination in valence and arousal ratings during extinction learning, and memory recall. In sum, distal stress on the one hand impaired safety learning during threat conditioning on a level of startle response. On the other hand, stress impaired threat extinction on a level of ratings. Noteworthy, the effect of distal stress was only found when the stressor was placed in the same context as later threat learning. Hence, suggesting that the combination of stressor and stressor-associated context exerted the effect on threat extinction. In Study 2, it was examined if distal stress induction could also have an impact on threat and extinction processes without the necessity of context association. Therefore, the same stress (n = 45) or sham protocol (n = 44) as in Study 1 was conducted in a different context than and 24 h prior to a threat conditioning paradigm. Similar to Study 1, weakened extinction learning was found in fear ratings for the stress (vs. sham) group, which was indicated by persistent CS+/CS- differentiation after the first block of extinction trials. Alterations in safety learning towards the CS- during threat acquisition were only supported by significant correlations between stress measures on the stress day and conditioned startle response of the CS- during acquisition. Taken together, in two subsequent studies this dissertation provided first evidence of impaired threat extinction after distal stress induction in humans. Furthermore, impairments in safety learning, as can be observed in PTSD, were additionally demonstrated. Interestingly, the effects were boosted and more profound when associating the stressor to the later learning context. These results have clinical implications as they can be translated to the notion that prior stress exposure makes an individual more vulnerable for later aversive events.},
  subject      = {Stress},
  language  = {en}
}