Advanced behavioral pharmacology using AI-based behavioral analysis and neural activity imaging

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K19318
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 47:Pharmaceutical sciences and related fields
• Research Institution: Hokkaido University
• Principal Investigator: MINAMI Masabumi 北海道大学, 薬学研究院, 教授 (20243040)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 行動薬理学 / ディープラーニング / 慢性痛 / 不安障害 / うつ病 / 薬物依存 / 行動嗜癖

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to establish a new behavioral pharmacology utilizing image analysis with AI technology. Aiming to develop a new behavioral test to analyze the neural mechanism of behavioral addiction, we examined whether wheel-running behavior is useful as a mouse model of behavioral addiction. After the development of behavioral addiction to wheel-running, approach behaviors to the novel object, novel mouse, and food were reduced in the presence of a running wheel. The results suggest that wheel-running may mimic the behavioral addiction in human where people continue the addictive behavior, such as gaming and gambling, at the expense of their health and social life, showing that wheel-running is useful as a mouse model of behavioral addiction. Furthermore, in vivo dopamine release measurements demonstrated that dopamine release in the medial shell of the nucleus accumbens may be involved in the development/maintenance of behavioral addiction to wheel-running behavior.

Free Research Field

神経薬理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果により、マウス輪回し行動が行動嗜癖モデルとして有用であることを示した。さらに、カルシウムイメージングを用いたインビボドパミン遊離計測により側坐核内側シェルにおけるドパミン遊離が輪回し行動に対する行動嗜癖形成に関与する可能性を示し、行動嗜癖の神経機構の一端を明らかにした。近年、世界保健機関の国際疾病分類にゲーム障害が収載されるなど、精神障害の中でもゲームやギャンブルに対する行動嗜癖が今後益々問題になっていくことが考えられる。本研究成果により行動嗜癖の病態メカニズム解明が進み、新たな治療標的・治療戦略の創出へと発展することが期待できるとともに、領域融合的な新しい学術の創成も期待できる。