Topic: reward-related behaviors

Survival and well-being hinge on an organism's adeptness at evaluating diverse options, considering the costs and benefits before making adaptive decisions. The influence of stress on cognition and reward-related behaviors varies depending on factors such as the duration and type of stressor, as well as intricate interactions between genetic factors and the environment. Stress may either enhance optimal decision-making and reward-related approaches or contribute to cognitive impairments and ineffective coping mechanisms, falling along a spectrum from resilience to vulnerability. The impact of

The dopaminergic striatal circuit is a key hub for processing reward and motivation in the brain. The main cell types of this circuit are the medial spiny neurons (MSNs), which are dynamically controlled by the interneurons of the region. Among these, the cholinergic interneurons (CINs) represent only 1-3% of the total neurons of the striatum but potentially exert a fundamental role in controlling the activity of the MSNs and local dopamine release. The overarching objective of this study is to assess the role of CINs in modulating striatal dynamics. Considering their striatal localization and