Rat Paraventricular Neurons Encode Predictive and Incentive Information of Reward Cues.

ABSTRACT: The paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) has been implicated in cue-induced motivated behaviors. Although reward-associated cues (conditioned stimuli, CSs) contain different types of information including predictive information of future reward delivery and incentive (motivational) value of the reward, it remains unknown whether PVT neurons represent predictive and incentive information of CSs. It is suggested that neural activity just after the onset of CSs (early activity) and that just before reward delivery (late activity) might more strongly represent predictive and incentive information, respectively. In this study, rats were trained to lick a tube, which was protruded close to their mouth just after a CS, to obtain a reward (sucrose or water) (cue-induced licking task). Aud

SUBMITTER: Munkhzaya U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7509094 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature