Cocaine induces locomotor sensitization through a dopamine-dependent VTA-mPFC-FrA cortico-cortical pathway in male mice.

ABSTRACT: As a central part of the mammalian brain, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been implicated in regulating cocaine-induced behaviors including compulsive seeking and reinstatement. Although dysfunction of the PFC has been reported in animal and human users with chronic cocaine abuse, less is known about how the PFC is involved in cocaine-induced behaviors. By using two-photon Ca²⁺ imaging to simultaneously record tens of intact individual networking neurons in the frontal association cortex (FrA) in awake male mice, here we report that a systematic acute cocaine exposure decreased the FrA neural activity in mice, while the chemogenetic intervention blocked the cocaine-induced locomotor sensitization. The hypoactivity of FrA neurons was critically dependent on both dopamine transpor

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10030897 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature