Review
Behavioral Sciences
John G. Howland, Rutsuko Ito, Christopher C. Lapish, Franz R. Villaruel
Summary: Emerging evidence suggests that the rodent medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) plays a crucial role in adapting behavior to changing information. The mPFC subregions, such as the dorsal and ventral mPFC, have specific functions in regulating action control and translating affective signals. However, these subregions also interact and influence each other in the modulation of adaptive behavior.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Kathryn Vaillancourt, Jennie Yang, Gary G. Chen, Volodymyr Yerko, Jean-Francois Theroux, Zahia Aouabed, Alberto Lopez, Kimberly C. Thibeault, Erin S. Calipari, Benoit Labonte, Naguib Mechawar, Carl Ernst, Corina Nagy, Thierry Forne, Eric J. Nestler, Deborah C. Mash, Gustavo Turecki
Summary: The study explored the role of DNA methylation in cocaine dependence and found a correlation between hypomethylation of the IRX2 gene and addiction. The findings suggest that cocaine-related hypomethylation of IRX2 contributes to the development and maintenance of cocaine dependence through alterations in 3D chromatin structure.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ja Eun Choi, Dong Il Choi, Jisu Lee, Jooyoung Kim, Min Jung Kim, Ilgang Hong, Hyunsu Jung, Yongmin Sung, Ji-Il Kim, TaeHyun Kim, Nam-Kyung Yu, Seung-Hee Lee, Han Kyoung Choe, Ja Wook Koo, Joung-Hun Kim, Bong-Kiun Kaang
Summary: Activated subpopulations in DRNTH and NAcsh were found to increase sociability in male mice during social isolation, but not in female mice. This effect was reversed by chemogenetic and optogenetic inhibition of the DRNTH-NAcsh circuit.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alexander C. W. Smith, Sietse Jonkman, Alexandra G. Difeliceantonio, Richard M. O'Connor, Soham Ghoshal, Michael F. Romano, Barry J. Everitt, Paul J. Kenny
Summary: The study showed that neural activity increases in the anterior dorsolateral striatum when mice successfully learn a new lever-press response, indicating that D1-MSNs encode new instrumental actions while D2-MSNs promote the expression of habitual actions. Disruption of D1-MSNs inhibits the consolidation process, whereas inhibition of D2-MSNs strengthens consolidation but blocks the expression of previously learned habit-like responses.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Klara Danielsson, Oona Lagstrom, Mia Ericson, Bo Soderpalm, Louise Adermark
Summary: The study suggests that repeated amphetamine exposure leads to selective effects on dopamine signaling in striatal subregions, explaining why tolerance develops towards the drug's rewarding effects but not its psychosis inducing properties.
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Allen P. F. Chen, Lu Chen, Thomas A. Kim, Qiaojie Xiong
Summary: Dopamine plays a crucial role in controlling CNS function and its dysregulation can lead to various cognitive symptoms associated with neuropsychiatric diseases. Different brain areas have varying functions and roles for dopamine, suggesting potential differential dysregulation in different disease states.
Article
Neurosciences
Jessica Goedhoop, Tara Arbab, Ingo Willuhn
Summary: By comparing two different experimental paradigms, this study reveals that dopamine signals contain both reward-related and action-related information. The action component of dopamine release is characterized by sustained signals, which reflect the motivation for appetitive action.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Pei-Pei Liu, Chih-Chang Chao, Ruey-Ming Liao
Summary: SKF83959 disrupts operant behaviors in rats in a dose-dependent manner by reducing response numbers, showing distinct behavioral profiles in different tasks. Changes in CaMKII-CREB signaling in various regions of the brain are associated with the altered behavior induced by the drug.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Yong-Qing Zhang, Hyun Kyu Min, Eunchong Hong, Eunhye Yu, Sun Mi Gu, Seong Shoon Yoon, Dohyun Lee, Jaejun Lee, Jin Tae Hong, Jaesuk Yun
Summary: The ICSS model was used to evaluate the abuse potential of 18 drugs in mice, and it was found that DAT availability and extracellular dopamine levels in the mPFC and NAc correlated with the ICSS threshold. These findings suggest a relationship between DAT availability-mediated dopamine levels and drug-induced reward-seeking behavior.
BIOMEDICINE & PHARMACOTHERAPY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Jiaxin Tang, Chengmei Yang, Mengwen Shi, Weihai Chen
Summary: Conditioned avoidance responses (CAR) behavior is a widely used paradigm for studying aversive conditioning and defensive motivation behavior. This study found that activation of dopamine D-2 receptors in the shell of nucleus accumbens evokes CAR behavior, while activation of dopamine D-1 receptors and dorsolateral striatum does not. This suggests that the shell of nucleus accumbens is the critical brain region for dopamine to elicit CAR behavior, and activation of dopamine D-2 receptors in the shell of nucleus accumbens is sufficient and necessary for triggering CAR behavior.
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
F. Carruzzo, A. O. Giarratana, L. del Puppo, S. Kaiser, P. N. Tobler, M. Kaliuzhna
Summary: A growing body of research has found that the ventral striatum is central to a network of brain regions involved in anticipating rewards in healthy controls. However, little is known about the functional connectivity of the ventral striatum in relation to reward anticipation in healthy controls. This study investigated reward anticipation in healthy individuals with different levels of schizotypy and found that the ventral striatum is connected to various regions in the brain during reward anticipation, suggesting its role in orchestrating goal-directed behavior.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Vladimir Babenko, Olga Redina, Dmitry Smagin, Irina Kovalenko, Anna Galyamina, Roman Babenko, Natalia Kudryavtseva
Summary: The study found significant differences in the transcriptome profiles between aggressive and aggression-deprived (AD) species. Aggressive species exhibited profound changes in gene expression profiles after social conflicts, while AD species mainly returned to a normal state after a period of fighting deprivation. Specific transcription factor activator gene networks were identified in AD species, suggesting that the effects of aggressive encounters have not completely recovered.
Article
Neurosciences
Carla L. Busceti, Roxana P. Ginerete, Luisa Di Menna, Giovanna D'Errico, Francesca Cisani, Paola Di Pietro, Tiziana Imbriglio, Valeria Bruno, Giuseppe Battaglia, Francesco Fornai, James A. Monn, Anna Pittaluga, Ferdinando Nicoletti
Summary: Genetic knockout of mGlu2 and mGlu3 receptors affects mice's preference and motor responses to methamphetamine, indicating different roles of these two receptors in methamphetamine addiction. mGlu3(-/-) mice show increased sensitization and elevated levels of phospho-ERK1/2 and free radicals in relevant brain areas, while mGlu2(-/-) mice exhibit reduced motor response to the first methamphetamine injection.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sanghoon Choi, Yijuan Du, David L. Wokosin, Steven M. Graves
Summary: This study found that repeated meth use resulted in dysfunction of the indirect pathway neurons in the dorsomedial striatum, with the severity of dysfunction dependent on the duration of abstinence. These findings have important implications for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of meth addiction.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Tong-Yu Liang, Hua Zhou, Yan-Gang Sun
Summary: Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons participate in itch processing through their projection to the nucleus accumbens (NAc). The roles of dopamine receptor subtypes in different subregions of the NAc during itch processing were investigated. It was found that dopamine D1 receptors (D1R) blockade in the lateral shell (LaSh) impaired pruritogen-induced scratching behavior, while D2R activation in both LaSh and medial shell (MeSh) attenuated scratching behavior. Dopamine release in LaSh was elevated during scratching behavior, suggesting a motivational component of itch processing. This study highlights the importance of D1R in the LaSh of the NAc in itch signal processing.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pei-Yang Gao, Ya-Nan Ou, Yi-Ming Huang, Zhi-Bo Wang, Yan Fu, Ya-Hui Ma, Qiong-Yao Li, Li-Yun Ma, Rui-Ping Cui, Yin-Chu Mi, Lan Tan, Jin-Tai Yu
Summary: Liver function may play a role in the progression of Alzheimer's disease. The study found that as AD progressed, certain liver function markers increased while others decreased. The relationship between liver function and CSF AD biomarkers indicates a potential mediation effect on cognition.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2024)