Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior

Protein restriction amplifies nucleus accumbens dopamine responses to protein-containing food during operant feeding in male mice

This study shows that protein restriction selectively enhances nucleus accumbens dopamine responses to protein-containing food during operant feeding in male mice, depending on nutritional status and task demands.

Dopaminergic signatures of state and trait-like pessimism in mice

This study identifies distinct dopaminergic signatures for state and trait-like pessimism in mice using a Pavlovian ambiguous-cue task.

Thalamo-accumbal circuit adaptations following extended oxycodone abstinence.

This study examines sex differences in relapse vulnerability after oxycodone abstinence by analyzing neural circuit adaptations in the thalamo-accumbal pathway in male and female rats.

An oral fentanyl self-administration model reveals dissociable escalation and relapse phenotypes in outbred vs inbred mice

This paper develops an oral fentanyl self-administration model in mice to study escalation and relapse phenotypes, finding genetic background influences on these behaviors.

Dopamine dips during unrewarded actions promote punishment-resistant reward seeking

The paper shows that dopamine dips during unrewarded actions increase punishment-resistant reward seeking in female mice, with optogenetic mimicry accelerating this behavior in both sexes.

Cued unpredictable intermittent access exacerbates loss of control over ethanol drinking

This study shows that unpredictable intermittent access to ethanol increases dependence and aversion-resistant drinking in rats compared to continuous access.

Dorsomedial striatal dopamine ramps down during interval timing

The paper investigates dopamine dynamics in the mouse dorsomedial striatum during interval timing and finds that dopamine ramps down before reward delivery, predicts timing behavior, and varies between sexes and with amphetamine.

Adolescent stress recruits a latent amygdala-dopamine circuit to drive punishment-resistant reward-seeking

This study identifies a novel amygdala-dopamine circuit activated by adolescent stress that drives punishment-resistant reward-seeking behavior in mice.

Predictive and instructive cerebellar encoding of dopamine reward drives motivated behavior

This study shows that cerebellar granule cells and climbing fibers encode dopamine rewards predictively and instructively, contributing to motivated behavior.

Striatal acetylcholine enables latent-state creation during reversal learning

This study shows that striatal acetylcholine supports reversal learning by promoting state construction in reinforcement learning.

Chemogenetic Inhibition of Lateral Hypothalamus Inputs to the Paraventricular Thalamus Reduces Goal-Tracking in a Behaviorally Flexible Subgroup of Male Rats

The paper inhibits the LH-PVT pathway in rats and finds it reduces goal-tracking behavior, particularly in intermediate responders.

A conserved population of genetically defined striatal neurons gates opioid reward

The paper identifies a rare striatal neuron population, Chst9-MSNs, that is critical for opioid reward and distinct from canonical pathways.

Acute stress induces circuit-specific alterations in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal inhibitory transmission and potentiates operant learning

This study shows acute stress enhances operant learning in rats by altering inhibitory transmission in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal circuits, specifically affecting GABAergic inputs to dopamine neurons.

Acute opioid responses are modulated by dynamic interactions of Oprm1 and Fgf12

This study identifies time-dependent epistatic interactions between Oprm1 and Fgf12 that modulate opioid-induced locomotion in mice and links Fgf12 to opioid behavior in humans.

Characterization of nucleus accumbens dopamine dynamics during positive and negative operant reinforcement in rats

This study examines dopamine dynamics in the nucleus accumbens during positive and negative reinforcement in rats, finding distinct patterns for different reinforcer types and availability.

Pharmacogenetic manipulation of Locus coeruleus activity in monkeys demonstrates its role in cognitive effort

This study uses pharmacogenetic inhibition of locus coeruleus neurons in monkeys to show that LC activity is critical for cognitive effort during a memory-demanding task.

Distinct forms of dopamine transmission control locomotion and learning

This study identifies two distinct modes of striatal dopamine release that independently control locomotion and learning.

Stimulus-Dependent Dopamine Dynamics from LocusCoeruleus Axons

This study identifies the physiological and behavioral conditions that trigger dopamine release from locus coeruleus axons, showing modality-dependent release constraints.

Ventral tegmental area astrocytes regulate drug-cue associations and drug intake

This study shows that activating astrocyte Gq signaling in the ventral tegmental area affects cocaine-associated behaviors differently in drug-naive and cocaine-experienced rats.

Mesohabenular glutamatergic regulation of the consequences of uncontrollable stress

This study identifies VTA glutamatergic inputs to the lateral habenula as critical for mediating the social and nonsocial consequences of uncontrollable stress.

Stress-induced adaptations in nucleus accumbens dopamine D1 receptor-expressing cells correspond to social avoidance behavior in male mice

The paper links stress-induced increases in D1R-associated dynorphin signaling in the nucleus accumbens to social avoidance behavior in male mice.

Constraints for spatially and temporally precise learning in a neural circuit model of reinforcement learning

The paper presents a neural circuit model of reinforcement learning in songbirds that demonstrates how temporal and spatial imprecision in dopaminergic signals can be overcome through fast reward prediction updates.

Early life adversity disrupts adult social reward motivation

This study shows that early life adversity selectively reduces adult social reward motivation in rodents without affecting sucrose reward motivation.

miR-10a-5p as a critical molecular regulator of dopaminergic impulsivity in the nucleus accumbens

The paper identifies miR-10a-5p as a molecular regulator of impulsivity in the nucleus accumbens, linking it to dopaminergic signaling and impulsive-compulsive disorders.

Intermittent Cocaine Use Patterns, Not Total Intake, Predict Cue-induced Drug Seeking in Rats

This study shows that individual cocaine use patterns, not total intake, predict cue-induced relapse in rats under intermittent access conditions.

Rapidly decreasing phasic dopamine responses precede a hedonic switch during satiation of sodium appetite

The paper shows that dopamine responses decrease rapidly before a hedonic switch during sodium satiation, tracking cumulative sodium intake in rats.

Ventral tegmental area dopamine neuron activity mediates multi-valent outcomes during decision making under risk of punishment

This study investigates how VTA dopamine neuron activity influences decision-making under risk of punishment in rats, finding that their activity scales with punishment probability and intensity and causally affects subsequent choices.

Alcohol Cues Invigorate Aversion-Resistant Alcohol Drinking

This study shows that alcohol-related cues increase aversion-resistant drinking in rats compared to free drinking, suggesting cues uniquely motivate drinking despite negative consequences.

5-HT4 receptor ligand RS67333 modulates striatal acetylcholine and dopamine release via inhibition of acetylcholinesterase

This study shows RS67333 modulates striatal dopamine and acetylcholine release by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase, not through 5-HT4R activation, and highlights the potential of AChE inhibitors for treating ACh/DA disorders.

Ultrasound-mediated neuromodulator delivery reveals serotonergic control of context-dependent motivation in primates

This paper introduces ultrasound-mediated neuromodulator delivery to study serotonergic control of context-dependent motivation in primates, showing altered neural activity and reduced reward environment influence.