Prefrontal cortex modulates desire and dread generated by nucleus accumbens glutamate disruption.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Corticolimbic circuits, including direct projections from prefrontal cortex to nucleus accumbens (NAc), permit top-down control of intense motivations generated by subcortical circuits. In rats, localized disruptions of glutamate signaling within medial shell of NAc generate desire or dread, anatomically organized along a rostrocaudal gradient analogous to a limbic keyboard. At rostral locations in shell, these disruptions generate appetitive eating, but at caudal locations the disruptions generate progressively fearful behaviors (distress vocalizations, escape attempts, and antipredator reactions). Here, we asked whether medial prefrontal cortex can modulate intense motivations generated by subcortical NAc disruptions.

Methods

We used simultaneous microinjections

SUBMITTER: Richard JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3535675 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature