Medial prefrontal cortex and anteromedial thalamus interaction regulates goal-directed behavior and dopaminergic neuron activity

Chen Yang, Yuzheng Hu, Aleksandr D. Talishinsky, Christian T. Potter, Coleman B. Calva, Leslie A. Ramsey, Andrew J. Kesner, Reuben F. Don, Sue Junn, Aaron Tan, Anne F. Pierce, Céline Nicolas, Yosuke Arima, Seung-Chan Lee, Conghui Su, Jensine M. Coudriet, Carlos A. Mejia-Aponte, Dong V. Wang, Hanbing Lu, Yihong Yang and Satoshi Ikemoto ()
Additional contact information
Chen Yang: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Yuzheng Hu: Zhejiang University
Aleksandr D. Talishinsky: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Christian T. Potter: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Coleman B. Calva: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Leslie A. Ramsey: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Andrew J. Kesner: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Reuben F. Don: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Sue Junn: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Aaron Tan: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Anne F. Pierce: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Céline Nicolas: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Yosuke Arima: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Seung-Chan Lee: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Conghui Su: Zhejiang University
Jensine M. Coudriet: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Carlos A. Mejia-Aponte: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Dong V. Wang: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Hanbing Lu: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Yihong Yang: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health
Satoshi Ikemoto: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-20

Abstract: Abstract The prefrontal cortex is involved in goal-directed behavior. Here, we investigate circuits of the PFC regulating motivation, reinforcement, and its relationship to dopamine neuron activity. Stimulation of medial PFC (mPFC) neurons in mice activated many downstream regions, as shown by fMRI. Axonal terminal stimulation of mPFC neurons in downstream regions, including the anteromedial thalamic nucleus (AM), reinforced behavior and activated midbrain dopaminergic neurons. The stimulation of AM neurons projecting to the mPFC also reinforced behavior and activated dopamine neurons, and mPFC and AM showed a positive-feedback loop organization. We also found using fMRI in human participants watching reinforcing video clips that there is reciprocal excitatory functional connectivity, as well as co-activation of the two regions. Our results suggest that this cortico-thalamic loop regulates motivation, reinforcement, and dopaminergic neuron activity.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-28892-7

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