Input-specific control of reward and aversion in the ventral tegmental area

摘要

“腹侧被盖区”(VTA)中的多巴胺神经元最有rn名的也许是它们与奖励有关的活性，但它们也rn能发出表示反感的信号。本文作者发现，不同rn的WA神经元类群形成对奖励和反感有不同连rn接特性的不同回路。通过综合运用最新功能rn解剖方法，他们发现：从“背外侧被盖区”和rn“外侧系带”接收输入的神经元分别介导奖励rn和反感。%Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neurons have important roles in adaptive and pathological brain functions related to reward and motivation. However, it is unknown whether subpopulations of VTA dopamine neurons participate in distinct circuits that encode different motivational signatures, and whether inputs to the VTA differentially modulate such circuits. Here we show that, because of differences in synaptic connectivity, activation of inputs to the VTA from the laterodorsal tegmentum and the lateral habenula elicit reward and aversion in mice, respectively. Laterodorsal tegmentum neurons preferentially synapse on dopamine neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens lateral shell, whereas lateral habenula neurons synapse primarily on dopamine neurons projecting to the medial prefrontal cortex as well as on GABAergic (γ-arninobutyric-acid-containing) neurons in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus. These results establish that distinct VTA circuits generate reward and aversion, and thereby provide a new framework for understanding the circuit basis of adaptive and pathological motivated behaviours.