Dorsal hippocampus to nucleus accumbens projections drive reinforcement via activation of accumbal dynorphin neurons.
Nat Commun
; 15(1): 750, 2024 Jan 29.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38286800
ABSTRACT
The hippocampus is pivotal in integrating emotional processing, learning, memory, and reward-related behaviors. The dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) is particularly crucial for episodic, spatial, and associative memory, and has been shown to be necessary for context- and cue-associated reward behaviors. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), a central structure in the mesolimbic reward pathway, integrates the salience of aversive and rewarding stimuli. Despite extensive research on dHPCâNAc direct projections, their sufficiency in driving reinforcement and reward-related behavior remains to be determined. Our study establishes that activating excitatory neurons in the dHPC is sufficient to induce reinforcing behaviors through its direct projections to the dorso-medial subregion of the NAc shell (dmNAcSh). Notably, dynorphin-containing neurons specifically contribute to dHPC-driven reinforcing behavior, even though both dmNAcSh dynorphin- and enkephalin-containing neurons are activated with dHPC stimulation. Our findings unveil a pathway governing reinforcement, advancing our understanding of the hippocampal circuity's role in reward-seeking behaviors.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Dinorfinas
/
Éteres Fosfolípidos
/
Núcleo Accumbens
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Commun
Asunto de la revista:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos
Pais de publicación:
Reino Unido