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Relationship: 748
Title
Hippocampal Physiology, Altered leads to Cognitive function, decreased
Upstream event
Downstream event
Key Event Relationship Overview
AOPs Referencing Relationship
AOP Name | Adjacency | Weight of Evidence | Quantitative Understanding | Point of Contact | Author Status | OECD Status |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Inhibition of Thyroperoxidase and Subsequent Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mammals | adjacent | High | Moderate | Kevin Crofton (send email) | Open for citation & comment | WPHA/WNT Endorsed |
Sodium Iodide Symporter (NIS) Inhibition and Subsequent Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mammals | adjacent | Moderate | Low | Mary Gilbert (send email) | Under Development: Contributions and Comments Welcome | |
Thyroid Receptor Antagonism and Subsequent Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mammals | adjacent | High | Moderate | Kevin Crofton (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite | Under Development |
AhR activation in the liver leading to Subsequent Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mammals | adjacent | Low | Low | Prakash Patel (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite | |
AhR activation in the thyroid leading to Subsequent Adverse Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Mammals | adjacent | Moderate | Moderate | Prakash Patel (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite | |
Binding to voltage gate sodium channels during development leads to cognitive impairment | adjacent | Iris Mangas (send email) | Under development: Not open for comment. Do not cite | Under Review |
Taxonomic Applicability
Sex Applicability
Sex | Evidence |
---|---|
Male | High |
Female | High |
Life Stage Applicability
Term | Evidence |
---|---|
During brain development | High |
Key Event Relationship Description
It is a well-accepted assertion that hippocampal synaptic integrity and plasticity are essential for spatial information processing in animals and spatial and episodic memory in humans (Burgess, 2002; Martin et al., 2000; Sweatt, 2016). Many studies with a variety of techniques and approaches (e.g. nutritional and chemical stressors, gene knockouts) have linked hippocampal functional deficits to decreased spatial ability, context learning, and fear learning. Study of human disease states and conditions where hippocampal function is impaired (i.e., brain trauma, Alzheimer’s disease, temporal lobe epilepsy, Down’s Syndrome), and imaging studies of hippocampal activation during memory challenge, makes irrefutable that the hippocampus is essential for specific types of cognitive abilities. Decades of animal research has reinforced this assertion.
There are many forms of synaptic plasticity and numerous ways in which physiological function of neural circuits can be assessed. Similarly, there are many forms of learning and memory relying on different brain regions and and multiple tasks and specifics associated with these tasks that vary from laboratory to laboratory. An emerging field of computational cognitive neuroscience lies at the intersection of computational neuroscience, machine learning and neural network theory. These computational and theoretical frameworks support the participation of hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity in learning and memory in animals and humans (for review see: Ashby and Helie, 2012).
Evidence Collection Strategy
Most of the text in this KER was reviewed and revised as part of the OECD AOP project and approved in 2019. This text was developed using standard literature search procedures set to identify any links between anatomical changes in the hippocampus and subsequent changes in hippocampal physiology. The most important resulting papers were identified as having measured both KE5 and KE6. This was updated by a recent systematic search conducted by EFSA in 2021 and 2022 (see Appendix B of EFSA technical report, 2024). Additional papers, including those using gene models, were identified, and added to the text.
Evidence Supporting this KER
The weight of evidence for physiological hippocampal function and episodic memory in humans and the animal analogue, spatial and fear-based context learning, is strong. Seminal studies over the past 60 years firmly established the cellular basis of behavior with synaptic plasticity (long term potentiation and long-term depression, LTP and LTD respectively). Recent work has provided details on the local hippocampal circuitry needed for memory formation and behavioral change (Sweatt, 2016). In humans, virtual reality experiments in large-scale spatial contexts show the convergence of spatial memory performance in normal patients with fMRI of the hippocampus clearly demonstrating the essentiality of hippocampal function to spatial learning (Burgess, 2002). This assertion is consistent with a wealth of animal data on hippocampal learning and memory. In rodent models, functional impairment of the hippocampus assessed using electrophysiological techniques is correlated with deficits in spatial memory typically assessed using mazes, and memory for context often assessed in fear-based learning paradigms (O’Keefe and Nadel, 1978; Clark et al., 2000; Squire, 2004; Eichenbaum, 2000; Panja and Bramham, 2014).
Biological Plausibility
The biological plausibility of the KER is rated as strong. It is well accepted that the normal hippocampal function is critical for the acquisition and memory of context and spatially mediated tasks in rodents and humans (Sweatt, 2016).
Empirical Evidence
Empirical support for this KER is strong. The requisite of hippocampal integrity to optimal visuo-spatial context learning (i.e., episodic memory) in humans and spatial learning in rodents is well documented. In vivo recording in conscious behaving animals has demonstrated activity-dependent neural changes taking place in the hippocampus during spatial learning (Gruart and Delgado-Garcia, 2007). Impairments in hippocampal function induced by drugs, chemicals, lesions, nutritional deficiencies, mutant or knock out models that cause changes in synaptic transmission, plasticity, and hippocampal network activity, are coincident with deficits in spatial and context-based fear learning (O’Keefe and Nadel, 1978; Bannerman et al., 2014; Lynch, 2004; Verret et al., 2012). Similarly, treatments found to enhance or facilitate hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity are associated with improved learning and memory (Deng et al., 2010; Novkovic et al., 2015; Andrade et al., 2015; Trivino-Paredes et al., 2016). A few examples of a large literature are briefly summarized below.
It is well known that n-Methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-mediated glutamatergic synaptic transmission is essential for the induction of hippocampal synaptic plasticity in the form of LTP. Blockade of this form of plasticity by selective NMDA-receptors blockers impairs LTP and hippocampal tests of learning and memory (reviewed in Sweatt, 2016). Perturbation of hippocampal plasticity and impaired spatial learning have been reported in adult offspring following prenatal ethanol exposure (An and Zhang, 2015). Developmental morphine exposure caused a decrease in the amplitude and slope of fEPSC sand inhibition of LTP in CA1 neurons fEPSPs that resulted in decreased maze performance (Aghighi et al., 2019). Developmental nutrition deficiency and hypoxic stress are both associated with, changes in synaptic structure, altered EPSPs, and hippocampal based cognitive behaviors (Dumets et al., 2020; Zhuravin et al., 2019). Rodent models of developmental TH insufficiency are associated with, impairments in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity and are coincident with deficits in learning tasks that require the hippocampus (Opazo et al., 2008; Gilbert and Sui, 2006, Gilbert, 2011, Gilbert et al., 2016).
There are also several mutant mouse models that have linked changes in hippocampal physiology with alteration in cognitive behaviors. The fyn mutant mouse (fyn is a tyrosine kinase pathway) displays impairments in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity, as well as spatial learning deficits (Grant et al., 1992). Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) knockout animals exhibit synaptic plasticity deficits and learning impairments (Aarse et al., 2016; Panja and Bramham, 2014). In the Jacob/Nfsm model which also exhibits pronounced alterations in BDNF-mediated signaling, hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity impairments were accompanied by deficits in contextual fear conditioning and novel location recognition tasks (Spilker et al., 2016). The aryl-hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) knockout was shown to decrease hippocampal mossy fibers and impair maze performance (Powers et al., 2005).
Knockout of SALM4/Lrfn3, a synaptic adhesion molecule that modulates NMDA receptor function, increases NMDA-mediated currents and enhances contextual fear memory. In this model, control level of performance could be restored via treatment with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (Lie et al.,2021). Finally, a knockout of LIMK-1, a kinase associated with actin dynamics, was shown to alter hippocampal spine morphology and LTP, with subsequent changes in fear behaviors and a spatial learning task (Meng et al., 2002).
In humans, hippocampal physiology assessed using neuroimaging reveals activation of hippocampus upon engagement in spatial learning and episodic memory providing a direct linkage of these two specific KEs (Burgess, 2002). In fMRI studies of congenitally hypothyroid children, or children born to women with altered thyroid function during pregnancy, changes in hippocampal activity patterns during memory encoding and retention were observed and associated with memory impairments (Wheeler et al., 2012; 2015; Willoughby et al., 2013; 2014).
Temporal Evidence
The temporal nature of this KER is developmental (Seed et al., 2005). This has been demonstrated in multiple studies. It is well-recognized that there are critical developmental windows for disruption of the functional development of the hippocampus and the integrity of this structure is essential for later development of spatial ability, context learning, and fear learning. A wealth of studies has shown correlation between hippocampal LTP and spatial learning performance, as well as the role of glutamatergic synaptic transmission and BDNF-mediated signaling pathways in these processes (Bramham, 2007; Andero et al., 2014; Morris et al., 1986; Sweatt, 2016; Migaud et al., 1998). Although studies on reversibility are relatively rare, a few examples of deficits in hippocampal synaptic transmission and plasticity documented in knockout mouse models are described above. In addition, in slices from BDNF knockout animals, physiological function can be rescued with recombinant BDNF (Patterson et al., 1996).
Uncertainties and Inconsistencies
There are no inconsistencies in this KER, but there are some uncertainties. It is a widely held assertion that synaptic transmission and plasticity in the hippocampus underlie spatial learning (Martin et al., 2000; Gruart and Delgado-Garcia, 2007; Bramham, 2007). However, the causative relationship of which specific alterations in synaptic function are associated with specific cognitive deficits is difficult to ascertain given the many forms of learning and memory, and the complexity of synaptic interactions in even the simplest brain circuit.
Known modulating factors
There are currently no known modulating factors.
Quantitative Understanding of the Linkage
Information does not exist to develop quantitative relationships between the KEs in this KER.
Response-response Relationship
Limited dose-response information is available. Mutation and knockout mouse models are not conducive to examination of varying levels of impairment at the physiological or behavioral level. Studies have investigated dose-dependency of impairments in hippocampal electrophysiological and behavior have been reported in animals suffering from developmental TH insufficiency (e.g., Gilbert and Sui, 2006; Gilbert, 2011; Gilbert et al., 2016).
Time-scale
Known Feedforward/Feedback loops influencing this KER
There are currently no known feedforward/Feedback loops influencing this KER.
Domain of Applicability
Most work has been conducted with rodent models. Sex-specific differences in sensitivity to disruption and sex-dependent differences in behavioral performance of hippocampal tasks have been reported in both rodent models and human studies.
References
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