Biology subjects

Vielle, C.

Publications and source records attributed to Vielle, C..

6 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2026

THE SUBTHALAMIC NUCLEUS IS INVOLVED IN SOCIAL MEMORY IN MALE RATS

Human social behavior depends on complex socio-cognitive abilities, many of which are disrupted in neuropsychiatric disorders. We previously found that subthalamic nucleus (STN) lesions abolish familiarity-based modulation of social reward in rats, implicating the STN in social recognition. Here, we used pharmacological lesions, electrical deep brain stimulation (DBS), and optogenetic manipulations to dissect the STNs role in social memory. STN lesions selectively impaired social discrimination memory without affecting social novelty discrimination or non-social memory. High-frequency optogenetic stimulation disrupted social discrimination memory only when applied during encoding, whereas STN optogenetic inhibition, and electrical DBS impaired social memory when applied during either encoding or retrieval. Notably, transient optogenetic inhibition abolished recognition of a cage-mate after short isolation, yet this ability was preserved after permanent lesions, suggesting compensatory adaptations. These results identify the STN as a key node for social memory and highlight the importance of considering its role in social cognition when implementing STN-targeted therapies.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2025

Cocaine withdrawal enhances subthalamic reward sensitivity

High-frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has shown therapeutic potential in preclinical models of addiction. However, its rewarding properties remain unclear. Here, we show that cocaine withdrawal enhances STN intracranial self-stimulation, revealing a reward-based mechanism that may contribute to the beneficial effects of STN deep brain stimulation in addiction and related neuropsychiatric disorders.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

SUBTHALAMIC HIGH-FREQUENCY DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION REDUCES ADDICTION-LIKE ALCOHOL USE AND SUPPRESSES THE OVERCONSUMPTION INDUCED BY THE PEER S PRESENCE

RationalThe immediate social context significantly influences alcohol consumption in humans. Recent studies have revealed that peer presence could modulate drugs use in rats. The most efficient condition to reduce cocaine intake is the presence of a stranger peer, naive to drugs. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the Subthalamic Nucleus (STN), which was shown to have beneficial effects on addiction to cocaine or alcohol, also modulate the protective influence of peers presence on cocaine use. ObjectivesThis study aimed to: 1) explore how the presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer affects recreational and escalated alcohol intake, and 2) assess the involvement of STN on alcohol use and in the modulation induced by the presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer. MethodsRats with STN DBS and control animals self-administered 10% (v/v) ethanol in presence, or absence, of an alcohol-naive stranger peer, before and after escalation of ethanol intake (observed after intermittent alcohol (20% (v/v) ethanol) access). ResultsNeither STN DBS nor the presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer modulated significantly recreational alcohol intake. After the escalation procedure, STN DBS gradually reduced ethanol consumption. The presence of an alcohol-naive stranger peer increased consumption only in low drinkers, which effect was suppressed by STN DBS. ConclusionsThese results highlight the influence of a peers presence on escalated alcohol intake, and confirm the role of STN in addiction-like alcohol intake and in the social influence on drug consumption.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Peer's Presence Reverses Escalated Cocaine Intake In Rats

The immediate social context critically modulates drug consumption. The presence of an unfamiliar conspecific, naive to the drug, at the time of consumption reduces cocaine self-administration in male rats during short-access sessions, as well as drug intake in human cocaine users. The subthalamic nucleus (STN), a brain structure involved in cocaine addiction and limbic processes, has been proposed to mediate such social influence on this limited level of drug intake. Whether this influence extends to escalated drug consumption remains an open question. In this study, we compared the effect of the presence of an unfamiliar peer, naive to cocaine, on cocaine self-administration in rats having been exposed to either short (2h) or long-access sessions (6h). We showed that the presence of the peer drastically reduced both limited and escalated cocaine intake in males, while it had no effect on females during short-access sessions. Assessing the effect of STN photo-inhibition or high frequency (HF) stimulation in male rats, we demonstrated that it had no effect in the absence of the conspecific in short-access sessions, STN photo-manipulation suppressed the influence of the peers presence. Moreover, STN photo-inhibition and HF stimulation decreased drug consumption in long-access sessions, but no additive effect was observed when associated with the peers presence, confirming an overriding effect of STN manipulation. Taken together, these results highlight the potential influence of socially oriented manipulations on cocaine intake and further position the STN as a critical mediator of the effect of social presence on addictive-like behaviors.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Peer presence and familiarity as key factors to reduce cocaine intake: an effect mediated by the Subthalamic Nucleus

Stimulant use, including cocaine, often occurs in a social context whose influence is important to understand to decrease intake and reduce associated harms. Given the regulatory role of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on cocaine intake and emotions, we investigate its role on such influence of social context on cocaine intake. We explored the influence of peer presence and familiarity on the frequency of self-administered cocaine and its neurobiological basis. We first compared cocaine intake in various conditions (alone or with peers with different characteristics: observing or self-administering, familiar or not, cocaine-naive or not, dominant or subordinate) in rats (n=90). The risk of drug consumption was reduced when a peer was present, observing or self-administering as well, and further diminished when the peer was unfamiliar (vs familiar). The presence of a cocaine-naive peer further decreased cocaine consumption. The presence of a non-familiar and drug-naive peer represents thus key conditions to diminish cocaine intake. We tested the effects of STN lesions in these various conditions and also conducted social experiments to validate the role of STN in social cognition. The STN lesion by itself reduced cocaine intake to the level reached in presence of a stranger naive peer and affected social cognition, positioning the STN as one neurobiological substrate of social influence on drug intake. Finally, with a translational research approach, we compared the drug intake in these conditions in human drug users (n=77). This human study confirmed the beneficial effect of social presence, especially of strangers. Our results indirectly support the use of social interventions and harm reduction strategies, in particular supervised consumption rooms for stimulant users.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2021

Evidence for a vocal signature in the rat and its reinforcing effects

While the term "language" is used for human and non-human primates, "vocal communication" is rather used for rodents or other species. The main difference is that there is, to date, no evidence for a vocal signature in the well-known 50- and 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) emitted by rats. Here, we show that rats can recognize the identity of the USV emitter since they self-administer preferentially playback of 50-kHz USV emitted by a stranger rat over those emitted by their cage-mate. In a second experiment, we show that the familiarity with the USV emitter also modulate the effect of USV playback during cocaine self-administration, since only stranger, but not familiar, 50-kHz USV decrease drug intake. Finally, to study the neurobiological substrate of those processes, we have tested the effects of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) lesion on these various conditions. STN-lesioned rats did not lever press much for any USV playback, whatever their emotional valence, nor did they seem able to differentiate familiar from stranger peer. Advocating for the existence of a vocal signature in rats, these results highlight the importance of ultrasonic communication in socio-affective influence of behavior, such as the influence of proximal social factors on drug consumption and confirm the role of the subthalamic nucleus on this influence.

animal behavior and cognition↗