title: Prelimbic cortex bdnf knock-down reduces instrumental responding in extinction.
abstract: Anatomically selective medial prefrontal cortical projections regulate the extinction of stimulus-reinforcement associations, but the mechanisms underlying extinction of an instrumental response for reward are less well-defined and may involve structures that regulate goal-directed action. We show brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf) knock-down in the prelimbic, but not orbitofrontal, cortex accelerates the initial extinction of instrumental responding for food and reduces striatal BDNF protein. When knock-down mice were provided with alternative response options to readily obtain reinforcement, extinction of the previously reinforced response was unaffected, consistent with the hypothesis that the prelimbic cortex promotes instrumental action, particularly when reinforcement is uncertain or unavailable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06508, USA;
authors.forename: Shannon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Gourley
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.forename: Maribel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rios
authors.forename: Ralph J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: DiLeone
authors.forename: Jane R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D003216:Conditioning, Operant / Q000502:physiology*; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000378:metabolism; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013238:Stereotaxic Techniques
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor