Article
Biology
Alberto J. Lopez, Amy R. Johnson, Tanner J. Euston, Rashaun Wilson, Suzanne O. Nolan, Lillian J. Brady, Kimberly C. Thibeault, Shannon J. Kelly, Veronika Kondev, Patrick Melugin, M. Gunes Kutlu, Emily Chuang, TuKiet T. Lam, Drew D. Kiraly, Erin S. Calipari
Summary: Gender plays a critical role in defining drug-induced plasticity in the nucleus accumbens, with cocaine administration capable of rewriting basal proteomic function and reward-associated behaviors. The differential effects on protein expression between males and females eliminate sex differences observed under basal conditions.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marlene Cervantes, Robert G. Lewis, Maria Agnese Della-Fazia, Emiliana Borrelli, Paolo Sassone-Corsi
Summary: The circadian clock and metabolism are closely linked, relying on interactions between organ systems for proper timing. Substance use disrupts communication between organs and alters rhythmic activities. This study finds that alterations in dopamine signaling in the brain can affect circadian metabolism in peripheral organs. Drugs like cocaine that increase dopamine levels disrupt circadian metabolic profiles in the liver, especially when dopamine D2 receptors are lost.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Xinqi Zhou, Ting Xu, Yixu Zeng, Ran Zhang, Ziyu Qi, Weihua Zhao, Keith M. Kendrick, Benjamin Becker
Summary: Social deficits and dysregulations in dopaminergic midbrain-striato-frontal circuits are common symptoms across psychiatric disorders. The present study investigated the effects of the AT1R antagonist losartan on social reward and punishment processing in humans. The findings suggest that losartan modulates approach-avoidance motivation and emotional salience during social punishment versus social reward by influencing the core nodes of the midbrain-striato-frontal circuits.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Cristian B. Calderon, Esther De Loof, Kate Ergo, Anna Snoeck, Carsten N. Boehler, Tom Verguts
Summary: Behavioral evidence suggests that reward prediction errors play a key role in episodic memory acquisition. In a novel task where RPEs were manipulated, fMRI results confirmed that signed RPEs are encoded in the ventral striatum and mediate their effects on episodic memory accuracy. Connectivity between processing areas and the hippocampus and ventral striatum increased with RPE value, supporting their central role in episodic memory formation.
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Maria Bretzke, Hannes Wahl, Michael M. Plichta, Nicole Wolff, Veit Roessner, Nora C. Vetter, Judith Buse
Summary: Adolescents and adults show differences in their response to rewards and handling uncertainty, possibly influenced by different reward probabilities. Adolescents exhibit faster reaction times under lower reward probabilities in experiments, but overall slower response speed compared to adults.
FRONTIERS IN HUMAN NEUROSCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Filip Grill, Lars Nyberg, Anna Rieckmann
Summary: The study suggests that the fMRI response to rewards in the ventral striatum reflects a mixture of component processes of reward, with an inferior ventral striatal component and hippocampus being involved in reward-based processing during gambling. The more superior ventral striatal component is linked to networks associated with executive functioning and responds to both reward and cognitive control demands.
BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Jessica S. Flannery, Nathan A. Jorgensen, Seh-Joo Kwon, Mitchell J. Prinstein, Eva H. Telzer, Kristen A. Lindquist
Summary: This study found differential HB and VS responsivity to social reinforcement among adolescents, suggesting their association with substance use during adolescence.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Gemma Mestre-Bach, Marc N. Potenza
Summary: This review article discusses the relevance of the reward system in behavioral addictions such as gambling disorder, internet gaming disorder, and food addiction/binge eating disorder. Specifically, it explores the role of the ventral striatum as a possible biomarker for these conditions and discusses studies analyzing brain changes following interventions for these disorders.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine W. Scangos, Ghassan S. Makhoul, Leo P. Sugrue, Edward F. Chang, Andrew D. Krystal
Summary: Deep brain stimulation shows promise in treating severe depression, but questions about anatomical targeting remain. A study implanting intracranial electrodes in a depressed patient found rapid, reproducible emotional responses that were context and state dependent, providing proof of concept for personalized, circuit-specific medicine in psychiatry.
Article
Sport Sciences
Yu Zhou, Graham Finlayson, Xudong Liu, Qichen Zhou, Tianze Liu, Chenglin Zhou
Summary: The study examined the effects of acute moderate-intensity dance and aerobic exercise on drug craving, appetite, prefrontal neural activation to food cues, and food reward in women with methamphetamine dependence. Results showed that both interventions reduced subjective craving for drugs and increased implicit wanting and relative preferences for high-calorie savory foods. The findings suggest that moderate-intensity exercise can be used as a therapeutic intervention to restore the balance between drug and nondrug rewards.
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE
(2021)
Review
Neurosciences
Johannes W. de Jong, Kurt M. Fraser, Stephan Lammel
Summary: Ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons encode reward prediction errors, but their release in the nucleus accumbens is involved in reinforcement learning, motivation, aversion, and incentive salience. The contrast between the homogeneous role of dopamine neuron activity and the heterogeneous functions of dopamine release raises questions about how VTA dopamine activity translates into NAc dopamine release.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
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
Psychology, Clinical
Erin Bondy, David A. A. Baranger, Jared Balbona, Kendall Sputo, Sarah E. Paul, Thomas F. Oltmanns, Ryan Bogdan
Summary: Neuroticism may increase vulnerability to stress-related depression and impact the association between stressful life events and reward-related brain responses. Sensitivity to stress-related disruptions in brain processing may underlie vulnerability to clinically significant depression.
JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Albert J. Fenoy, Paul E. Schulz, Marsal Sanches, Sudhakar Selvaraj, Christina L. Burrows, Bashar Asir, Christopher R. Conner, Joao Quevedo, Jair C. Soares
Summary: This study demonstrates that deep brain stimulation to the superolateral branch of the medial forebrain bundle is an effective therapy for treatment resistant depression, with sustained antidepressant effects observed for up to 5 years. Evaluation of modulated fiber tracts reveals significant prefrontal/orbitofrontal connectivity to the target region in all responders.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Cristina E. Maria-Rios, Geoffrey G. Murphy, Jonathan D. Morrow
Summary: There are intrinsic differences in excitability between medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the NAc core and shell, with shell MSNs being more excitable, having greater input resistance, lower cell capacitance, and faster firing frequency. These differences may be linked to the distinct anatomical characteristics and functional roles of core and shell MSNs in reward learning.