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.
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Xiaonan Li, Lehua Lu, Ying He, Hui Zhang, Yihui Zhang, Huaquan Sheng, Ming Chen, Jiexiong Ru, Yihan Gao
Summary: This study examined the effects of different nicotine salts on dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) using a fluorescent probe and optical fiber photometric recording equipment. The results showed that different nicotine salts increased DA release in the NAc, but each salt had different efficiency in increasing DA release with concentration changes.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
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
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
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
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
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
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Benoit Forget, Elena Martin Garcia, Arthur Godino, Laura Domingo Rodriguez, Vincent Kappes, Pierre Poirier, Andry Andrianarivelo, Eric Senabre Marchan, Marie-Charlotte Allichon, Melanie Marias, Peter Vanhoutte, Jean-Antoine Girault, Rafael Maldonado, Jocelyne Caboche
Summary: The study shows that certain miRNAs are preferentially upregulated in the NAc after sustained cocaine exposure and miR-1 overexpression in specific striatal cell populations can affect cocaine-induced behaviors by reducing reinstatement and motivation in a cell-type specific manner.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Daniel J. Christoffel, Jessica J. Walsh, Paul Hoerbelt, Boris D. Heifets, Pierre Llorach, Ricardo C. Lopez, Charu Ramakrishnan, Karl Deisseroth, Robert C. Malenka
Summary: The study reveals that dopamine and serotonin modulate excitatory synaptic transmission in the nucleus accumbens in input-specific ways, influencing motivated behaviors differently. Endogenous release of DA and 5-HT, as well as optogenetic inhibition, alter the behavioral effects of drugs in distinct manners.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Taylor A. Stowe, Elizabeth G. Pitts, Amy C. Leach, Melody C. Iacino, Farr Niere, Benjamin Graul, Kimberly F. Raab-Graham, Jordan T. Yorgason, Mark J. Ferris
Summary: This study reveals the rhythmic mechanisms of rapid dopamine signals and cholinergic interneurons (CINs) in the rodent striatum, and how these rhythms influence conditioned responses to reward-associated cues. The findings suggest that the activity of dopamine signals and CINs is regulated by diurnal rhythms, which play a crucial role in learning and motivated behaviors.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
James N. Brundage, Colin P. Mason, Hillary A. Wadsworth, Chris S. Finuf, Josh J. Nelson, P. Joakim W. Ronstrom, Sara R. Jones, Cody A. Siciliano, Scott C. Steffensen, Jordan T. Yorgason
Summary: Striatal dopamine release dynamics differ across sexes, with female mice showing less regional differences in dopamine release compared to male mice. Blocking voltage-gated K+ channels with 4-aminopyridine had the greatest effects in ventral regions of female mice, indicating regional differences in Kv channel expression. The dopamine transporter blocker cocaine enhanced detection across subregions in both sexes, with females showing greater overall increased release than males.
JOURNAL OF NEUROCHEMISTRY
(2022)
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)