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Published on: August 10, 2012
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Functional Heterogeneity within the Primate Ventral Striatum for Motivational Regulation.
Haruhiko Iwaoki1, Yukiko Hori1, Yuki Hori1
1Advanced Neuroimaging Center, National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology, Chiba 263-8555, Japan.
Summary
The anterior ventral striatum (VS) causes resting, while the posterior VS triggers compulsive checking in primates. This reveals distinct functions of VS subregions in motivation and psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Primate Behavior
- Neuropharmacology
Background:
- The ventral striatum (VS) is crucial for reward and motivation.
- Its functional divisions in primates are not well understood.
- VS dysfunction is linked to apathy and OCD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate functional heterogeneity within the primate VS.
- To differentiate the roles of anterior (aVS) and posterior (pVS) VS.
- To explore VS involvement in motivational control circuits.
Main Methods:
- Bilateral pharmacological inactivation of the VS in macaque monkeys using muscimol.
- Precise targeting via CT and MRI scans.
- Behavioral analysis using goal-directed tasks and spontaneous behavior observation.
Main Results:
- Anterior VS inactivation induced hypoactivity ('resting').
- Posterior VS inactivation led to compulsive-like 'checking' behaviors.
- Neither inactivation affected reward value or drive, distinguishing them from other motivation areas.
Conclusions:
- The primate VS exhibits functional heterogeneity along its anterior-posterior axis.
- aVS and pVS are involved in distinct motivational control circuits.
- Findings offer insights into psychiatric disorders and potential therapies.
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