scholarly journals Disruptions in effort-based decision-making following acute optogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine cells

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Fry ◽  
Nathan T. Pence ◽  
Andrew McLocklin ◽  
Alexander W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Ventral Tegmental ◽  
Stimulation Of

scholarly journals Disruptions in effort-based decision-making following acute optogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine cells

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Fry ◽  
Nathan T. Pence ◽  
Andrew McLocklin ◽  
Alexander W. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Tyrosine Hydroxylase ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Dopamine System ◽  
Laser Stimulation ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Ventral Tegmental ◽  
Stimulation Of

AbstractThe dopamine system has been implicated in decision-making particularly when associated with effortful behavior. We examined acute optogenetic stimulation of dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as mice engaged in an effort-based decision-making task. Tyrosine hydroxylase-Cre mice were injected with Cre-dependent ChR2 or control eYFP in VTA. While eYFP control mice showed effortful discounting, laser stimulation of dopamine cells in ChR2 animals disrupted effort-based decision-making by reducing choice towards the lever associated with a preferred outcome and greater effort, without affecting discrimination processes or nonspecific motoric behaviors. These findings suggest increases in dopamine activity can disrupt effort-based decision-making.

Cardiovascular depressor responses to stimulation of substantia nigra and ventral tegmental area

1997 ◽  
Vol 273 (6) ◽  
pp. H2549-H2557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gilbert J. Kirouac ◽  
John Ciriello
Keyword(s):  
Substantia Nigra ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Intravenous Administration ◽  
Dopaminergic Neurons ◽  
Cardiovascular Responses ◽  
Receptor Blocker ◽  
Transitional Region ◽  
Pars Lateralis ◽  
Ventral Tegmental ◽  
Stimulation Of

Experiments were done in α-chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated rats to investigate the effect ofl-glutamate (Glu) stimulation of the substantia nigra (SN) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) on arterial pressure (AP) and heart rate (HR). Glu stimulation of the SN pars compacta (SNC) elicited decreases in both mean AP (MAP; −18.9 ± 1.3 mmHg; n = 52) and HR (−26.1 ± 1.6 beats/min; n = 46) at 81% of the sites stimulated. On the other hand, stimulation of the SN pars lateralis or pars reticulata did not elicit cardiovascular responses. Stimulation of the adjacent VTA region elicited similar decreases in MAP (−18.0 ± 2.6 mmHg; n = 20) and HR (−25.4 ± 3.8 beats/min; n = 17) at ∼74% of the sites stimulated. Intravenous administration of the dopamine D2-receptor antagonist raclopride significantly attenuated both the MAP (70%) and the HR (54%) responses elicited by stimulation of the transitional region where the SNC merges with the lateral VTA (SNC-VTA region). Intravenous administration of the muscarinic receptor blocker atropine methyl bromide had no effect on the magnitude of the MAP and HR responses to stimulation of the SNC-VTA region, whereas administration of the nicotinic receptor blocker hexamethonium bromide significantly attenuated both the depressor and the bradycardic responses. These data suggest that dopaminergic neurons in the SNC-VTA region activate a central pathway that exerts cardiovascular depressor effects that are mediated by the inhibition of sympathetic vasoconstrictor fibers to the vasculature and cardioacceleratory fibers to the heart.

Cardiovascular afferent inputs to ventral tegmental area

1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (6) ◽  
pp. R1998-R2003 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. J. Kirouac ◽  
J. Ciriello
Keyword(s):  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Discharge Rate ◽  
Onset Latency ◽  
Selective Activation ◽  
Unit Recording ◽  
Arterial Baroreceptors ◽  
Reflex Activation ◽  
Afferent Inputs ◽  
Ventral Tegmental ◽  
Stimulation Of

Extracellular single-unit recording experiments were done in alpha-chloralose-anesthetized, paralyzed, and artificially ventilated rats to investigate the effect of selective activation of arterial baroreceptors and stimulation of cardiovascular depressor sites in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS) on the discharge rate of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). Electrical stimulation of the aortic depressor nerve (ADN), which is known to carry aortic baroreceptor afferent fibers only, excited 12 of 21 (mean onset latency 42.4 +/- 8.8 ms) and inhibited 2 of 21 (mean onset latency 42.5 +/- 6.5 ms) single units in the VTA. The discharge rate of VTA units was also altered during the reflex activation of arterial baroreceptors by the acute rise in arterial pressure (AP) to systemic injections of phenylephrine (10 micrograms/kg i.v.): 12 of 44 units were excited and 15 of 44 were inhibited. Units that responded to either ADN stimulation or the reflex activation of the baroreflex also responded to stimulation of depressor sites in the NTS. An additional 12 units that were found in barodenervated controls to be responsive to NTS stimulation were nonresponsive to selective activation of arterial baroreceptors. These data indicate that cardiovascular afferent inputs modulate the activity of neurons in the VTA and suggest that changes in systemic AP may exert an effect on the activity of neurons involved in mesolimbic and mesocortical function.

scholarly journals Reward activity in ventral pallidum tracks satiety-sensitive preference and drives choice behavior

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (45) ◽  
pp. eabc9321
Author(s):  
David J. Ottenheimer ◽  
Karen Wang ◽  
Xiao Tong ◽  
Kurt M. Fraser ◽  
Jocelyn M. Richard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
Prediction Error ◽  
Choice Behavior ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Ventral Pallidum ◽  
Optogenetic Stimulation ◽  
Reward Prediction ◽  
Behavioral Preference ◽  
Stimulation Of

A key function of the nervous system is producing adaptive behavior across changing conditions, like physiological state. Although states like thirst and hunger are known to impact decision-making, the neurobiology of this phenomenon has been studied minimally. Here, we tracked evolving preference for sucrose and water as rats proceeded from a thirsty to sated state. As rats shifted from water choices to sucrose choices across the session, the activity of a majority of neurons in the ventral pallidum, a region crucial for reward-related behaviors, closely matched the evolving behavioral preference. The timing of this signal followed the pattern of a reward prediction error, occurring at the cue or the reward depending on when reward identity was revealed. Additionally, optogenetic stimulation of ventral pallidum neurons at the time of reward was able to reverse behavioral preference. Our results suggest that ventral pallidum neurons guide reward-related decisions across changing physiological states.

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