Topic: nucleus accumbens shell

The mesolimbic dopamine system is believed to regulate both reinforcement learning and motivation to obtain rewards. A central question is how the mesolimbic dopamine system influences these distinct functions. A classical neural circuit model proposes a two-component system in which dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core encodes prediction error signals to regulate reinforcement learning while dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens shell signals incentive salience and promotes motivated responses. Here we record bulk calcium dynamics in projection-specific ventral tegmental area (V

The nucleus accumbens shell (AcbSh) and ventral pallidum (VP) comprise the ventral striatopallidal system. Their connections with the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) are important in appetitively motivated behaviours and conditions like addiction. These regions have different neuronal subtypes and how they are specifically connected between them have been poorly understood. To investigate the circuitry between AcbSh, VP, LH and mPFC, we performed channelrhodopsin-assisted circuit-mapping using whole-cell patch-clamp electrophysiology and retrograde tracing in wild

Administration of cannabinoids has been linked to changes in ingestive behaviours in rodents, in the form of hyperphagia or hypophagia. These effects have been attributed to the action of cannabinoid 1 receptors (CB1R) present in both the central nervous system and the digestive tract. While studies have observed that CB1R agonists and antagonist increase and decrease gross food intake respectively, the role of CB1R in other eating behaviours, such as food preference, is largely unknown. In two separate experiments, we tested the effects of stimulation of the CB1R located in two brain regions

Abnormal reward and threat processing are key players in psychiatric conditions such as eating disorders, addiction or depression. These functions are strongly regulated by the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) which integrates emotional signals to regulate motor output. Historically the NAcSh was thought to consist of 2 pathways: dopamine 1 and 2 receptor-expressing striatal projection neurons (D1, D2-SPNs) which promoted reward and aversive behavior, respectively. Yet recent work has revealed that both cell types can promote either reward or aversion, depending on the NAcSh subregion or input/

While emerging evidence suggests a role for gut bacteria in the pathophysiology of substance use disorder (SUD), studies of their impact on brain and behavioral responses to drugs have been very limited so far. We previously showed that gut dysbiosis enhances the nicotine-induced activation of the mesolimbic system and alters nicotine’s motivational properties in mice. However, the mechanisms linking gut bacteria to the mesolimbic system to influence its response to nicotine remain to be identified. Microbial products are suspected to play a role in this process by influencing gene expression,