Nucleus Accumbens Cholinergic Interneurons Oppose Cue-Motivated Behavior.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Environmental reward-predictive stimuli provide a major source of motivation for adaptive reward pursuit behavior. This cue-motivated behavior is known to be mediated by the nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. The cholinergic interneurons in the NAc are tonically active and densely arborized and thus well suited to modulate NAc function. However, their causal contribution to adaptive behavior remains unknown. Here we investigated the function of NAc cholinergic interneurons in cue-motivated behavior.

Methods

We used chemogenetics, optogenetics, pharmacology, and a translationally analogous Pavlovian-to-instrumental transfer behavioral task designed to assess the motivating influence of a reward-predictive cue over reward-seeking actions in male and female rats.

Resul

SUBMITTER: Collins AL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7003647 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature