Nucleus accumbens core acetylcholine receptors modulate the balance of flexible and inflexible cue-directed motivation.

ABSTRACT: Sign-tracking is a conditioned response where animals interact with reward-predictive cues due to the cues having motivational value, or incentive salience. The nucleus accumbens core (NAc) has been implicated in mediating the sign-tracking response. Additionally, acetylcholine (ACh) transmission throughout the striatum has been attributed to both incentive motivation and behavioral flexibility. Here, we demonstrate a role for NAc ACh receptors in the flexibility of sign-tracking. Sign-tracking animals were exposed to an omission contingency, in which vigorous sign-tracking was punished by reward omission. Animals rapidly adjusted their behavior, but they maintained sign-tracking in a less vigorous manner that did not cancel reward. Within this context of sign-tracking being persistent yet

SUBMITTER: Townsend ES 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10435540 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature