Ventral tegmDopaminergicStriatumAmygdalaReceptorsNeuronsSerotoninMidbrainMicrodialysisRatsHypothalamicCorticotropin-ReleasiPrefrontal cortexExtracellularShellHypothalamusBehaviorsModulateHippocampusProteinReceptorPrairie volesDifferencesSensitivityTractsBasalNeurotransmitterSubsequentEffectsRoleActivityGlutamateBrain area
Ventral tegm7
- Major glutamatergic inputs to the nucleus accumbens include the prefrontal cortex (particularly the prelimbic cortex and infralimbic cortex), basolateral amygdala, ventral hippocampus, thalamic nuclei (specifically the midline thalamic nuclei and intralaminar nuclei of the thalamus), and glutamatergic projections from the ventral tegmental area (VTA). (wikipedia.org)
- The nucleus accumbens receives dopaminergic inputs from the ventral tegmental area, which connect via the mesolimbic pathway. (wikipedia.org)
- Other efferents from the nucleus accumbens include connections with the tail of the ventral tegmental area, substantia nigra, and the reticular formation of the pons. (wikipedia.org)
- Thus, the lateral hypothalamus-ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens neural circuitry is reexamined in order to interrogate the functional interplay between ghrelin, dopamine, orexin, and endocannabinoid signaling. (frontiersin.org)
- Finally, type-1 cannabinoid receptor-dependent inhibition of GABA-ergic release and relapse to reward-associated stimuli is linked to ghrelin and orexin signaling in the lateral hypothalamus-ventral tegmental area-nucleus accumbens network to highlight its pathological potential for food addiction-like behavior. (frontiersin.org)
- The mesolimbic dopamine pathway comprises the ventral tegmental area (VTA), nucleus accumbens (Nac) and the prefrontal cortex. (greenfacts.org)
- Dopamine release dynamics in the mesolimbic dopamine pathway, which connects the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc), are an essential component of the process that controls motivation and reward-seeking behavior in Substance Use Disorder. (stanford.edu)
Dopaminergic6
- The dopaminergic neurons of the mesolimbic pathway project onto the GABAergic medium spiny neurons of the nucleus accumbens and olfactory tubercle. (wikipedia.org)
- Dopaminergic inputs from the VTA modulate the activity of GABAergic neurons within the nucleus accumbens. (wikipedia.org)
- Here, we expressed the light-activated cation channel Channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) in genetically defined midbrain dopamine neurons to stimulate exocytosis specifically from dopaminergic terminals in both the nucleus accumbens (NAc) shell and dorsal striatum of brain slices from adult mice. (jneurosci.org)
- AJ76 and (+)-UH232 but not raclopride seem to interact primarily with dopamine receptors in the terminal regions of the A9 and A10 dopaminergic fibers to exert their maximal effect on dopamine release in vivo. (nih.gov)
- We were also the first to identify and map the dopaminergic projections to the habenula and the spinal cord, and reveal the special dendritic projections from the nigra compacta neurons that allow dopamine to be released from dendrites in the pars reticulata. (lu.se)
- 10. Lindvall, O., Björklund, A., Skagerberg, G.: Selective histochemical demonstration of dopamine terminal systems in rat di- and telencephalon: new evidence for dopaminergic innervation of hypothalamic neurosecretory nuclei. (lu.se)
Striatum8
- The nucleus accumbens and the olfactory tubercle collectively form the ventral striatum. (wikipedia.org)
- The VP, in turn, projects to the medial dorsal nucleus of the dorsal thalamus, which projects to the prefrontal cortex as well as back to the ventral and to dorsal striatum. (wikipedia.org)
- These results provide definitive physiological evidence for VGLUT2-mediated glutamate release by mature dopamine neurons projecting to the NAc shell, but not to the dorsal striatum. (jneurosci.org)
- Midbrain dopamine neurons project to a variety of forebrain targets, including the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens, where the release of dopamine is thought to contribute to the generation of motor function and motivated behaviors ( Wise, 2004 ). (jneurosci.org)
- The dopamine D3- and autoreceptor preferring antagonists (+)-AJ76 and (+)-UH232 were administered locally in the striatum and the nucleus accumbens. (nih.gov)
- This study examined the effect of repeated treatment with the antidepressant drugs, fluoxetine, desipramine and tranylcypromine, on dopamine receptor expression (mRNA and binding site density) in sub-regions of the nucleus accumbens and striatum of the rat. (ox.ac.uk)
- Tranylcypromine, however, had no effect on D2-like binding in the nucleus accumbens but decreased binding in the striatum. (ox.ac.uk)
- Although it is well-known that mu receptors in the midbrain regulate dopamine release and are important in mediating reward, little is known of the role of other populations that are expressed in the different neurons of the striatum, a hub of many reward pathways. (ucla.edu)
Amygdala9
- Location: The shell is the outer region of the nucleus accumbens, and - unlike the core - is considered to be part of the extended amygdala, located at its rostral pole. (wikipedia.org)
- Infralimbic projections to the nucleus accumbens shell and amygdala regulate the encoding of cocaine extinction learning. (neurotree.org)
- Analysis of CRF2gamma RNA expression in human brain demonstrates expression in septum and hippocampus, with weaker but detectable expression in amygdala, nucleus accumbens, midbrain, and frontal cortex. (nih.gov)
- They identified a new connection between the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens in the brains of mice that is sensitive to early life adversity and affects how mice respond to rewards. (nih.gov)
- The researchers found a new CRH-sensitive connection coming from the basolateral amygdala into the nucleus accumbens in the brains of mice. (nih.gov)
- The connection was distinct from other well-documented connections between the amygdala and nucleus accumbens. (nih.gov)
- Stimulating the amygdala-nucleus accumbens connection reduced reward-related behaviors in male but not female mice, suggesting this connection inhibits reward behavior-but only in male mice. (nih.gov)
- To test the role of this connection on reward-behavior deficits associated with early life adversity, the scientists blocked the connection between the amygdala and the nucleus accumbens in mice that had been exposed to early life stress. (nih.gov)
- Together, the findings of this study provide evidence that the newly discovered connection between the basolateral amygdala and the nucleus accumbens is involved in reward-behavior deficits associated with early life adversity. (nih.gov)
Receptors9
- Though the dopamine receptor antagonist-induced effects on dopamine release seem to be mediated mainly by dopamine receptors in the terminal areas, the effects on DOPAC by the different antagonists seem to be mediated mainly via effects elsewhere, presumably at the somatodendritic autoreceptors. (nih.gov)
- From our findings, we propose that the antidepressant drugs tested enhance dopamine function in the nucleus accumbens through either increased expression of post-synaptic D2 receptors (fluoxetine and desipramine) or increased dopamine release (tranylcypromine). (ox.ac.uk)
- In the 1970s, biologists learned that in prairie voles, which mate for life, the nucleus accumbens is packed full of oxytocin receptors. (psychologytoday.com)
- In species that are not biologically wired to be monogamous, such as mountain voles and common mice, the nucleus accumbens doesn't have oxytocin receptors. (psychologytoday.com)
- From this observation sprang a dogma that pair bonding is a special type of social behavior tied to the presence of oxytocin receptors in the nucleus accumbens. (psychologytoday.com)
- But what's driving the more common group behaviors that all mammals engage in - cooperation , altruism or just playing around - remained mysterious, since these oxytocin receptors were supposedly absent in the nucleus accumbens of most social animals," said Dölen. (psychologytoday.com)
- The new discovery shows that mice need to have oxytocin receptors at a very specific location in the nucleus accumbens and, importantly, that blocking oxytocin's activity there significantly diminished these animals' appetite for any type of socializing. (psychologytoday.com)
- In the NAc specifically, tonic and phasic dopamine release is known to play a critical role in converting information about environmental reward-predictive cues to anticipated rewarding outcomes and is heavily modulated by the activity of cholinergic (ChAT) interneurons signaling through nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). (stanford.edu)
- Extinction-induced upregula- the work of Sutton et al .3, it has consid- of calcium into nucleus accumbens neu- tion in AMPA receptors reduces cocaine-seeking behaviour. (lu.se)
Neurons10
- The nucleus accumbens is an aggregate of neurons which is described as having an outer shell and an inner core. (wikipedia.org)
- Slight depolarizations of cells in the nucleus accumbens correlates with positivity of the neurons of the hippocampus, making them more excitable. (wikipedia.org)
- The correlated cells of these excited states of the medium spiny neurons in the nucleus accumbens are shared equally between the subiculum and CA1. (wikipedia.org)
- The nucleus accumbens is one of the few regions that receives a high density of histaminergic projections from the tuberomammillary nucleus (the sole source of histamine neurons in the brain). (wikipedia.org)
- The output neurons of the nucleus accumbens send axonal projections to the basal ganglia and the ventral analog of the globus pallidus, known as the ventral pallidum (VP). (wikipedia.org)
- Cell types: Neurons in the nucleus accumbens are mostly medium spiny neurons (MSNs) containing mainly D1-type (i.e. (wikipedia.org)
- Further, we used a conditional knock-out mouse lacking vesicular glutamate transporter 2 (VGLUT2) specifically in dopamine neurons to determine whether VGLUT2 is required for the exocytotic release of glutamate from dopamine neurons. (jneurosci.org)
- To determine whether dopamine neurons release synaptically relevant amounts of glutamate in the adult brain, a method to selectively stimulate exocytotic release from dopamine terminals is required. (jneurosci.org)
- Increase of energy accumulation elicits leptin release and simultaneous inhibition of orexigenic neurons expressing neuropeptide Y (NPY) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP), as well as activation of the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons within the hypothalamic arcuate nucleus (ARC). (frontiersin.org)
- We discovered that microglia modulates reward circuitry and is correlated with release of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) that in turn alters chloride (Cl-) homeostasis in VTA neurons. (ucla.edu)
Serotonin6
- The researchers discovered that oxytocin released through any type of social connectivity triggered the release of serotonin. (psychologytoday.com)
- In a chain reaction, the serotonin then activated the 'reward circuitry' of the nucleus accumbens resulting in a happy feeling. (psychologytoday.com)
- The study titled, "Social Reward Requires Coordinated Activity of Nucleus Accumbens Oxytocin and Serotonin" appears in the September 12, 2013 issue of Nature . (psychologytoday.com)
- The present study was designed to characterize further the rewarding and aversive properties of 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), the alpha-ethyl homologue of MDMA (MBDB), fenfluramine, and the selective serotonin releasing agent 5-methoxy-6-methyl-2-aminoindan (MMAI) using the conditioned place preference paradigm (CPP). (erowid.org)
- MDMA, a potent monoamine-releaser with particularly pronounced serotonin- releasing properties, has unique subjective effects that include: marked positive mood, pleasant/unusual bodily sensations and pro-social, empathic feelings. (researchgate.net)
- To test this hypothesis, basal extracellular concentrations of dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) in the nucleus accumbens as well as the effects of repeated ethanol pretreatment on the basal release of these transmitters were examined in alcohol-preferring (P), alcohol-nonpreferring (NP), and genetically heterogeneous Wistar rats. (aspetjournals.org)
Midbrain1
- It originates from the ventral tegmentum area in the midbrain and projects to the nucleus accumbens, a part of the limbic system. (go.jp)
Microdialysis3
- Prenatal restraint stress differentially modifies basal and stimulated dopamine and noradrenaline release in the nucleus accumbens shell: an 'in vivo' microdialysis study in adolescent and young adult rats. (unica.it)
- Extracellular dopamine (DA) and its metabolite DOPAC were also measured in the nucleus accumbens after systemic drug administration, using in vivo microdialysis in freely moving rats. (erowid.org)
- In the microdialysis experiments, MDMA significantly elevated extracellular DA and induced a decrease of DOPAC in the nucleus accumbens. (erowid.org)
Rats7
- In so, we utilized female Wistar rats selectively bred to voluntarily run high (HVR) and low (LVR) nightly distances in order to examine if endogenous differences in nucleus accumbens (NAc) NMDA receptor expression and function underlies the propensity for high or low motivation to voluntarily wheel-run. (eurekamag.com)
- We investigated the effect of PNS on basal and stimulated dopamine and noradrenaline output in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving adolescent and young adult rats (30-35 and 60-70 postnatal days respectively) because of the importance of this area in drug dependence and possibly in psychiatric disorders that are treated with drugs that act on dopamine and noradrenaline transmission. (unica.it)
- In micro-dialysis experiments, our data showed that levels of extracellular dopamine in the nucleus accumbens were not altered in rats treated with either fluoxetine or desipramine, but increased by tranylcypromine. (ox.ac.uk)
- In ethanol-naive rats, significant line differences were observed with high basal 5-HT release in P rats, low 5-HT release in NP rats, and intermediate 5-HT levels in Wistar rats. (aspetjournals.org)
- First, to date, evidence on monoaminergic differences between high and low P rats is based largely on ex vivo, whole-tissue measures of DA and 5-HT rather than extracellular measures of transmitter release. (aspetjournals.org)
- Preferential stimulation of dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of freely moving rats by ethanol. (semanticscholar.org)
- 5. Carlezon, W.A. Jr. & Wise, R.A. Rewarding actions drug to its receptor, but rather by the rats, treatments associated with aversive of phencyclidine and related drugs in nucleus ac- failure of an expected drug injection to states such as severe drug withdrawal cumbens shell and frontal cortex. (lu.se)
Hypothalamic2
- Although the lateral region is the most voluminous, the medial and periventricular regions contain the majority of hypothalamic nuclei. (medscape.com)
- D) coronal sections of the hypothalamus, reflecting relative positions of hypothalamic nuclei. (medscape.com)
Corticotropin-Releasi1
- To understand how early life adversity might affect reward behavior and the development of mental illnesses, Dr. Birnie and colleagues investigated brain connections in mice that play a role in creating reward behaviors and express a stress-sensitive molecule called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). (nih.gov)
Prefrontal cortex1
- RNAseq of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the nucleus accumbens, two brain areas strongly associated with addiction pathophysiology, showed that certain genes were expressed differently in people with OUD compared to controls. (eurekalert.org)
Extracellular1
- The effect of these treatments on extracellular levels of dopamine in the nucleus accumbens was also measured. (ox.ac.uk)
Shell4
- Each cerebral hemisphere has its own nucleus accumbens, which can be divided into two structures: the nucleus accumbens core and the nucleus accumbens shell. (wikipedia.org)
- The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcc shell) is a substructure of the nucleus accumbens. (wikipedia.org)
- The shell and core together form the entire nucleus accumbens. (wikipedia.org)
- Experiments using in situ hybridisation showed that the antidepressants caused a region-specific increase in D2 mRNA, this effect being most prominent in the nucleus accumbens shell. (ox.ac.uk)
Hypothalamus5
- also known as the accumbens nucleus, or formerly as the nucleus accumbens septi, Latin for "nucleus adjacent to the septum") is a region in the basal forebrain rostral to the preoptic area of the hypothalamus. (wikipedia.org)
- In animals receiving AAS decreased levels of ir-dynorphin B in the nucleus accumbens, declined concentrations of ir-MEAP in the PAG and higher levels of ir-MEAP in the hypothalamus were found. (thedollpalace.com)
- The hypothalamus is a region of the brain composed of many small nuclei with diverse functions. (medscape.com)
- By synthesizing and secreting neurohormones, the nuclei of the hypothalamus act as a conduit between the nervous and endocrine systems via the pituitary gland (hypophysis), regulating homeostatic functions such as hunger, thirst, body temperature, and circadian rhythms. (medscape.com)
- The hypothalamus occupies the ventral diencephalon and is composed of numerous fiber tracts and nuclei situated symmetrically about the third ventricle. (medscape.com)
Behaviors2
- Thus, differences in partner- and novel-elicited dopamine release reflect the selective nature of pair bonds and may drive the social behaviors that reinforce and cement bonds over time, eroding after partner loss to facilitate new bond formation. (biorxiv.org)
- An overactive nucleus accumbens is often seen in addictive behaviors. (emofree.com)
Modulate2
- Astrocytes are fundamental components of brain information processing and possess the ability to respond to synaptic signaling with increases in cytoplasmic calcium and modulate neuronal activity with the subsequent release of neuroactive transmitters. (nature.com)
- Bed nuclei of the stria terminalis modulate memory consolidation via glucocorticoid-dependent and -independent circuits. (neurotree.org)
Hippocampus1
- Another major source of input comes from the CA1 and ventral subiculum of the hippocampus to the dorsomedial area of the nucleus accumbens. (wikipedia.org)
Protein2
- Western blot analysis was used to quantify the amount of protein in both the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the caudate (CP), a control brain area. (brynmawr.edu)
- Altered responsiveness to co- oup the nucleus accumbens reflect the behavioral approaches that incorporate caine and increased immobility in the forced swim test associated with elevated cAMP response ele- memory of associations between the extinction-like processes may have effi- ment binding protein in nucleus accumbens. (lu.se)
Receptor3
- Effect of antidepressant drugs on dopamine D1 and D2 receptor expression and dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens of the rat. (ox.ac.uk)
- These results indicate that the 5-HT 1A receptor may exert an inhibitory effect on amphetamine-induced dopamine release. (elsevierpure.com)
- On one hand, this relation can be concentrated in verifying the changes induced by epileptic condition on neurotransmitter synthesis, released content and receptor activity. (scielo.br)
Prairie voles1
- We used monogamous prairie voles to investigate how dopamine release differs in voles when seeking and interacting with a pair bonded partner or a novel vole. (biorxiv.org)
Differences2
- No differences among groups were noted in basal DA release. (aspetjournals.org)
- Using operant conditioning and fast-scan cyclic voltammetry with pharmacology we defined sex differences in ChAT regulation of dopamine release underlying sex-specific motivational strategies for non-drug rewards. (stanford.edu)
Sensitivity1
- We already have many examples ure of a discrete action (lever press) to in the sensitivity of nucleus accumbens of how brain biology can affect behav- produce the expected results (cocaine). (lu.se)
Tracts1
- Dölen, Malenka and their Stanford colleagues have identified - for the first time - the specific nerve tract that secretes oxytocin in the region, and were able to pinpoint the effects of oxytocin release on other nerve tracts projecting to this area. (psychologytoday.com)
Basal2
- The nucleus accumbens is often described as one part of a cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop. (wikipedia.org)
- Moreover, the data suggest that ethanol exposure can alter basal DA and 5-HT in the nucleus accumbens and that vulnerability to ethanol-induced changes in monoamine neurotransmission may be a factor in genetically determined ethanol preference. (aspetjournals.org)
Neurotransmitter1
- The role that a neuron plays within a circuit depends to a large extent on the neurotransmitter(s) released. (jneurosci.org)
Subsequent1
- N E W S & V I E W S self-administration rather than the fail- accumbens, and subsequent increases tions. (lu.se)
Effects1
- So, to explore the social-interaction effects of oxytocin activity in the nucleus accumbens, the investigators used a standard measure called the conditioned place preference test. (psychologytoday.com)
Role2
- As a whole, the nucleus accumbens has a significant role in the cognitive processing of motivation, aversion, reward (i.e., incentive salience, pleasure, and positive reinforcement), and reinforcement learning (e.g. (wikipedia.org)
- The nucleus accumbens plays a lesser role in processing fear (a form of aversion), impulsivity, and the placebo effect. (wikipedia.org)
Activity1
- They found that stimulating this connection reduced activity in the nucleus accumbens. (nih.gov)
Glutamate1
- Our data show that conditional knock-out completely abolished all optically evoked glutamate release. (jneurosci.org)
Brain area1
- The nucleus accumbens is a brain area involved in pleasure and motivation. (nih.gov)