BDNF in Ventrolateral Orbitofrontal Cortex to Dorsolateral Striatum Circuit Moderates Alcohol Consumption and Gates Alcohol Habit.

ABSTRACT: BDNF plays a crucial role in shaping the structure and function of neurons. BDNF signaling in the dorsolateral striatum (DLS) is part of an endogenous pathway that protects against the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). Dysregulation of BDNF levels in the cortex or dysfunction of BDNF/TrkB signaling in the DLS results in the escalation of alcohol drinking and compulsive alcohol use. The major source of BDNF in the striatum is the prefrontal cortex. We identified a small ensemble of BDNF-positive neurons in the ventrolateral orbitofrontal cortex (vlOFC), a region involved in AUD, that extend axonal projections to the DLS. We speculated that BDNF in vlOFC-to-DLS circuit may play a role in limiting alcohol drinking and that heavy alcohol use disrupts this protective pathway. We found

SUBMITTER: Gunasekaran S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11761066 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature