title: Linking Cholinergic Interneurons, Synaptic Plasticity, and Behavior during the Extinction of a Cocaine-Context Association.
abstract: Despite the fact that cholinergic interneurons are a key cell type within the nucleus accumbens, a relationship between synaptic plasticity and the in vivo activity of cholinergic interneurons remains to be established. Here, we identify a three-way link between the activity of cholinergic interneurons, synaptic plasticity, and learning in mice undergoing the extinction of a cocaine-context association. We found that activity of cholinergic interneurons regulates extinction learning for a cocaine-context association and generates a sustained reduction in glutamatergic presynaptic strength onto medium spiny neurons. Interestingly, activation of cholinergic interneurons does not support reinforcement learning or plasticity by itself, suggesting that these neurons have a modulatory rather than a reinforcing function.
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.|Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Junuk
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.|Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finkelstein
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.|Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Jung Yoon
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.|Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544.
authors.forename: Ilana B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Witten
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D059329:Cholinergic Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D003042:Cocaine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003213:Conditioning, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects; D005108:Extinction, Psychological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D005502:Food; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000502:physiology; D007395:Interneurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology
chemical_list: D018698:Glutamic Acid; D003042:Cocaine