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Aversive stimulus differentially triggers subsecond dopamine release in reward regions
E A Budygin1, J Park, C E Bass
1Medical Center Boulevard, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. ebudygin@wfubmc.edu
Neuroscience
|November 24, 2011
Summary
Aversive stimuli activate dopamine release in the dorsal striatum and nucleus accumbens (NAc) core. Removal of these stimuli triggers dopamine release in the NAc shell, suggesting reward processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Neuroscience
Background:
- Aversive stimuli powerfully impact behavior, contrasting with pleasure.
- Ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopaminergic neurons show varied responses to aversive stimuli.
- Projections and dopamine release from aversion-responsive neurons remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the projection targets of aversion-responsive VTA dopaminergic neurons.
- To determine if altered neuronal activity leads to dopamine release in terminal fields.
- To elucidate the neural substrates involved in aversive stimulus perception and processing.
Main Methods:
- Utilized tail pinch as a classical painful and aversive stimulus.
- Measured dopamine release in the dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens (NAc) core, and NAc shell.
- Correlated dopamine release with the duration and removal of the aversive stimulus.
Main Results:
- Tail pinch triggered dopamine release in the dorsal striatum and NAc core, time-locked to stimulus duration.
- These areas are identified as neural substrates for aversive stimulus perception.
- Dopamine release in the NAc shell occurred only upon tail pinch removal, suggesting reward processing.
Conclusions:
- The same neural substrates processing pleasure are activated by aversive stimuli like tail pinch.
- Dopamine release in the dorsal striatum and NAc core reflects the perception of aversive stimuli.
- NAc shell dopamine release upon alleviation of aversion suggests reward value in relief.
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