Learning-induced plasticity in the mesolimbic system

中脑边缘系统学习诱发的可塑性

• 批准号: 7154393
• 负责人: Garret D Stuber
• 金额: $ 4.6万
• 依托单位: ERNEST GALLO CLINIC AND RESEARCH CENTER
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2006-09-01 至 2009-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7154393
• 关键词: association learning; conditioning; learning; neurons; reinforcer

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Dopaminergic neurons, originating in the midbrain, and projecting to forebrain areas including the prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and nucleus accumbens are critical for the manifestation of goal directed behavior for both natural rewards and drugs of abuse. While the exact role DAergic transmission plays in goal-directed behavior is still under investigation, one particularly attractive hypothesis is that DAergic neurons act as a learning signal to code relationships between reinforcers and environmental cues that predict them. Although both in vivo electrophysiological and electrochemical studies have demonstrated that DAergic signaling is plastic, and can be modified by manipulating the learned association between cues and reinforcers, little is known about the cellular changes that occur in DAergic neurons following stimulus-reward learning. The proposed experiments plan to examine whether the properties and plasticity of excitatory synapses on DAergic neurons are altered following reward-related learning and extinction. These studies will further the understanding of how dopaminergic signaling is involved in reinforcement and conditioning.

描述（由申请人提供）：多巴胺能神经元起源于中脑，投射到包括前额皮质、杏仁核和伏核在内的前脑区域，对于自然奖励和滥用药物的目标导向行为的表现至关重要。虽然 DAergic 传输在目标导向行为中发挥的确切作用仍在研究中，但一个特别有吸引力的假设是 DAergic 神经元充当学习信号来编码强化物与预测它们的环境线索之间的关系。尽管体内电生理学和电化学研究都表明 DAergic 信号传导是可塑的，并且可以通过操纵线索和强化物之间习得的关联来进行修改，但对于刺激奖励学习后 DAergic 神经元中发生的细胞变化知之甚少。拟议的实验计划检查 DAergic 神经元的兴奋性突触的特性和可塑性是否在奖励相关的学习和消退后发生改变。这些研究将进一步了解多巴胺能信号如何参与强化和调节。