Topic: parabrachial nucleus

Current theories establish that memories are transiently stored in the hippocampus and transferred to the neocortex for long-term storage during sleep. These processes involve brain-wide plastic changes, heralded by macroscopic brain activities that occur upon changes in the neuromodulatory activity of the brainstem. The brainstem prompts periods of both enduring and transient changes of neuronal excitability that modify the activity of other sub-structures in a precise manner. Thus, brainstem activity may play a critical role in memory formation. However, the specific neural mechanisms that a

The parabrachial nucleus (PBN) relays gustatory information as well as negative emotions. It sends dense projections to the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a heterogeneous brain region that regulates motivational behaviors. Nevertheless, the function of PBN-to-VTA connection remains elusive. To characterize the functional roles of PBN-to-VTA pathway, we first applied dual-viral retrograde tracing to specifically label VTA-projecting PBN cells. By combining c-Fos immunostainings with different behavior paradigms, we found that VTA-projecting PBN cells are significantly activated by negative affec

Conventional approaches to behavioral correction, aimed at curbing addictive behaviors, often involve methods like electric shocks, which, while effective, pose a risk of harm due to induced nociceptive pain. Recent findings show that calcitonin gene-related peptide in the parabrachial nucleus (CGRPPBN) provides affective pain signals and generates general alarm signals. Here we investigated whether stimulating CGRPPBN neurons could replicate the behavioral correction effects of electrical shock, thereby suppressing addictive behavior without causing physical harm. Using Calca-Cre::DAT-Cre mic