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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Local Application of Drugs to Study Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Function in Mouse Brain Slices
Published on: October 29, 2012
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and the ascending dopamine pathways
Phil D Livingstone1, Susan Wonnacott
1Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK.
Abstract:
Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are widely expressed in midbrain dopamine neurons that project to dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex. Thus nAChRs can influence the functions of these three pathways, notably motor control, 'reward' and executive function, respectively. Diverse subtypes of nAChRs have been identified on dopamine cell bodies and terminals as well as on neighbouring afferents and interneurons. Here we review the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which nAChRs exert their influence on these pathways in rodents.
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