| Reference code: | PT/FB/BL-2016-030.10 |
| Location: | BF-GMS
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Title:
| Laterodorsal tegmentum-ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals
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| Publication year: | 2021
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URL:
| https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jnr.24931
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| Abstract/Results: | ABSTRACT:
The laterodorsal tegmentum (LDT) is a brainstem nucleus classically involved in REM sleep and attention, and that has recently been associated with reward-related behaviors, as it controls the activity of ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons, modulating dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. To further understand the role of LDT-VTA inputs in reinforcement, we optogenetically manipulated these inputs during different behavioral paradigms in male rats. We found that in a two-choice instrumental task, optical activation of LDT-VTA projections shifts and amplifies preference to the laser-paired reward in comparison to an otherwise equal reward; the opposite was observed with inhibition experiments. In a progressive ratio task, LDT-VTA activation boosts motivation, that is, enhances the willingness to work to get the reward associated with LDT-VTA stimulation; and the reverse occurs when inhibiting these inputs. Animals abolished preference if the reward was omitted, suggesting that LDT-VTA stimulation adds/decreases value to the stimulation-paired reward. In addition, we show that LDT-VTA optical activation induces robust preference in the conditioned and real-time place preference tests, while optical inhibition induces aversion. The behavioral findings are supported by electrophysiological recordings and c-fos immunofluorescence correlates in downstream target regions. In LDT-VTA ChR2 animals, we observed an increase in the recruitment of lateral VTA dopamine neurons and D1 neurons from nucleus accumbens core and shell; whereas in LDT-VTA NpHR animals, D2 neurons appear to be preferentially recruited. Collectively, these data show that the LDT-VTA inputs encode positive reinforcement signals and are important for different dimensions of reward-related behaviors.
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| Accessibility: | Document exists in file
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Language:
| eng
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Author:
| Coimbra, B.
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Secondary author(s):
| Domingues, A. V., Soares-Cunha, C., Correia, R., Pinto, L., Sousa, N., Rodrigues, A. J.
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Document type:
| Article
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Number of reproductions:
| 1
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Reference:
| Coimbra, B., Domingues, A. V., Soares-Cunha, C., Correia, R., Pinto, L., Sousa, N., & Rodrigues, A. J. (2021). Laterodorsal tegmentum-ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals. Journal of Neuroscience Research, 99(11), 3084–3100. https://doi.org/10.1002/jnr.24931
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| 2-year Impact Factor: | 4.433|2021
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| Times cited: | 3|2025-02-14
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| Indexed document: | Yes
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| Quartile: | Q2
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| Keywords: | LDT / Motivation / Neuronal circuits / Optogenetics / Reward
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Laterodorsal tegmentum-ventral tegmental area projections encode positive reinforcement signals |