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Optogenetic Manipulation of Neural Circuits During Monitoring Sleep/wakefulness States in Mice
Published on: June 19, 2019
Motivation meets sleep: tuning arousal via nucleus accumbens and Basal Ganglia circuits
Fares J P Sayegh1, Patricia Bonnavion2
1Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB Neuroscience Institute, Laboratory of Neurophysiology, Brussels, Belgium.
Abstract:
Traditionally linked to motor control and motivation, the basal ganglia, particularly the nucleus accumbens (NAc), are now recognized as central to sleep-wake regulation. Rodent studies highlight the NAc as a hub where motivation, arousal, and sleep homeostasis converge, mediated by D1- and D2-MSN activity. This review examines its organization and circuits, emphasizing roles in vigilance, valence, and associative learning, and exploring emerging hypotheses on its contribution to sleep-related cognition and disorders.
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