Topic: laterodorsal tegmental area

A common trait of psychological disorders is an impairment in executing appropriate action under conflicting motivations. Indeed, balancing reward and risk is a fundamental brain process essential for survival. The brain assigns positive or negative value to external stimuli, facilitating approach or avoidance behaviors, respectively. Thus, dissecting the brain circuitry that controls these processes is essential towards a better understanding of brain function and the pathological processes in mental health. The laterodorsal tegmental area (LDTg) is a heterogeneous brain region which modulate

Aims: Compared with non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is characterized by low-voltage and fast electroencephalographic activity, loss of muscle tone, or intermittent muscle twitches. Waking up from REM sleep is necessary for staying alert in animals, yet it is not well known about the mechanism of the transitional signature of REM sleep. Methods: Neuronal activities of the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a structure in the midbrain that is primarily composed of GABAergic neurons, were manipulated using optogenetics. Electroencephalogram and electromyog