Topic: 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations

Background: The lateral hypothalamus (LH), known to play roles in modulation of reward, avoidance, and preference, projects to the associated brain regions such as the ventral tegmental area (VTA), lateral habenula (LHb), and rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg). Previous studies have established that LH neurons projecting to LHb influence cocaine-induced behavior and dopamine release. However, the specific neuronal populations and the peptides involved in cocaine-induced behavioral effects have not been elucidated.Purpose: To address this, our study aimed to investigate the roles of LH neuro

The prolonged use of dopamine replacement therapy (DRT) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with the onset of non-motor complications, including iatrogenic psychiatric-like disturbances. However, the preclinical investigation of the latter is limited, due to the lack of reliable animal models. In this regard, we developed a new model consisting in the evaluation of 50-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), a behavioral marker of positive affect, in rats unilaterally lesioned with 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) in the medial forebrain bundle and treated with either apomorphine or L-DOPA, two dr