An opioid-gated thalamoaccumbal circuit for the suppression of reward seeking in mice.

ABSTRACT: Suppression of dangerous or inappropriate reward-motivated behaviors is critical for survival, whereas therapeutic or recreational opioid use can unleash detrimental behavioral actions and addiction. Nevertheless, the neuronal systems that suppress maladaptive motivated behaviors remain unclear, and whether opioids disengage those systems is unknown. In a mouse model using two-photon calcium imaging in vivo, we identify paraventricular thalamostriatal neuronal ensembles that are inhibited upon sucrose self-administration and seeking, yet these neurons are tonically active when behavior is suppressed by a fear-provoking predator odor, a pharmacological stressor, or inhibitory learning. Electrophysiological, optogenetic, and chemogenetic experiments reveal that thalamostriatal neurons innerv

SUBMITTER: Vollmer KM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9652456 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature