Role of laterodorsal tegmentum projections to nucleus accumbens in reward-related behaviors

Bárbara Coimbra, Carina Soares-Cunha, Nivaldo A P Vasconcelos, Ana Verónica Domingues, Sónia Borges, Nuno Sousa () and Ana João Rodrigues ()
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Bárbara Coimbra: University of Minho
Carina Soares-Cunha: University of Minho
Nivaldo A P Vasconcelos: University of Minho
Ana Verónica Domingues: University of Minho
Sónia Borges: University of Minho
Nuno Sousa: University of Minho
Ana João Rodrigues: University of Minho

Nature Communications, 2019, vol. 10, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Abstract The laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is associated with reward considering that it modulates VTA neuronal activity, but recent anatomical evidence shows that the LDT also directly projects to nucleus accumbens (NAc). We show that the majority of LDT-NAc inputs are cholinergic, but there is also GABAergic and glutamatergic innervation; activation of LDT induces a predominantly excitatory response in the NAc. Non-selective optogenetic activation of LDT-NAc projections in rats enhances motivational drive and shifts preference to an otherwise equal reward; whereas inhibition of these projections induces the opposite. Activation of these projections also induces robust place preference. In mice, specific activation of LDT-NAc cholinergic inputs (but not glutamatergic or GABAergic) is sufficient to shift preference, increase motivation, and drive positive reinforcement in different behavioral paradigms. These results provide evidence that LDT-NAc projections play an important role in motivated behaviors and positive reinforcement, and that distinct neuronal populations differentially contribute for these behaviors.

Date: 2019
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11557-3

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