Responses of ventral tegmental area GABA neurons to brain stimulation reward.
Dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) have been implicated in rewarded behaviors, including intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS). We demonstrate, in unrestrained rats, that the discharge activity of a homogeneous population of presumed VTA GABA neurons, implicated in cortical arousal, increases before ICSS of the medial forebrain bundle (MFB). These findings suggest that VTA GABA neurons may be involved in the attentive processes related to brain stimulation reward (BSR).
Steffensen
S C
SC
Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA. scott_steffensen@byu.edu
Lee
R S
RS
Stobbs
S H
SH
Henriksen
S J
SJ
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000601:surgery; D009433:Neural Inhibition / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012201:Reward; D012653:Self Stimulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*
D005680:gamma-Aminobutyric Acid; D004298:Dopamine