Developments from Bulk Optogenetics to Single-Cell Strategies to Dissect the Neural Circuits that Underlie Aberrant Motivational States

Motivational states are regulated by complex networks across brain regions that are composed of genetically and functionally distinct neuronal populations. Disruption within these neural circuits leads to aberrant motivational states and are thought to be the root cause of psychiatric disorders related to reward processing and addiction. Critical technological advances in the field have revolutionized the study of neural systems by allowing the use of optical strategies to precisely control and visualize neural activity within genetically identified neural populations in the brain. This review will provide a brief introduction into the history of how technological advances in single-cell strategies have been applied to elucidate the neural circuits that underlie aberrant motivational states that often lead to dysfunction in reward processing and addiction.

Automated summary

Motivational states are regulated by complex networks in the brain that consist of genetically and functionally distinct neuronal populations. Technological advances in single-cell strategies have allowed researchers to manipulate and observe the activity of specific neural populations in the brain, which is crucial for understanding the neural circuits underlying aberrant motivational states related to reward processing and addiction.