scholarly journals Persistent coding of outcome-predictive cue features in the rat nucleus accumbens

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmie M. Gmaz ◽  
James E. Carmichael ◽  
Matthijs A. A. van der Meer
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Contextual Modulation ◽  
Future Behavior ◽  
Expected Outcome ◽  
Ongoing Behavior ◽  
Eligibility Trace ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens

AbstractThe nucleus accumbens (NAc) is important for learning from feedback, and for biasing and invigorating behavior in response to cues that predict motivationally relevant outcomes. NAc encodes outcome-related cue features such as the magnitude and identity of reward. However, little is known about how features of cues themselves are encoded. We designed a decision making task where rats learned multiple sets of outcome-predictive cues, and recorded single-unit activity in the NAc during performance. We found that coding of cue identity and location occurred alongside coding of expected outcome. Furthermore, this coding persisted both during a delay period, after the rat made a decision and was waiting for an outcome, and after the outcome was revealed. Encoding of cue features in the NAc may enable contextual modulation of ongoing behavior, and provide an eligibility trace of outcome-predictive stimuli for updating stimulus-outcome associations to inform future behavior.

scholarly journals Persistent coding of outcome-predictive cue features in the rat nucleus accumbens

eLife ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jimmie M Gmaz ◽  
James E Carmichael ◽  
Matthijs AA van der Meer
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Unit Activity ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Delay Period ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Contextual Modulation ◽  
Expected Outcome ◽  
Eligibility Trace ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) is important for learning from feedback, and for biasing and invigorating behaviour in response to cues that predict motivationally relevant outcomes. NAc encodes outcome-related cue features such as the magnitude and identity of reward. However, little is known about how features of cues themselves are encoded. We designed a decision making task where rats learned multiple sets of outcome-predictive cues, and recorded single-unit activity in the NAc during performance. We found that coding of cue identity and location occurred alongside coding of expected outcome. Furthermore, this coding persisted both during a delay period, after the rat made a decision and was waiting for an outcome, and after the outcome was revealed. Encoding of cue features in the NAc may enable contextual modulation of on-going behaviour, and provide an eligibility trace of outcome-predictive stimuli for updating stimulus-outcome associations to inform future behaviour.

scholarly journals Distinct threat and valence signals in rat nucleus accumbens core

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Madelyn H Ray ◽  
Mahsa Moaddab ◽  
Michael A McDannald
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Single Unit ◽  
Female Rats ◽  
Single Unit Activity ◽  
Nucleus Accumbens Core ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Separate Population ◽  
Accumbens Core

Appropriate responding to threat and reward is essential to survival. The nucleus accumbens core (NAcc) is known to support and organize reward behavior. More recently our laboratory has shown the NAcc is necessary to discriminate cues for threat and safety. To directly reveal NAcc threat responding, we recorded single-unit activity from 7 female rats undergoing Pavlovian fear discrimination. Rats fully discriminated cues for danger, uncertainty, and safety. Demonstrating direct threat responding, most NAcc neurons showed greatest firing changes to danger and uncertainty. Heterogeneity in cue and reward firing led to the detection of multiple, functional populations. One NAcc population specifically decreased firing to threat (danger and uncertainty). A separate population bi-directionally signaled valence through firing decreases to negative valence events (danger and uncertainty) and opposing firing increases to positive valence events (reward and safety onset). The findings point to the NAcc as a neural source of threat information and a more general valence hub.

Rat Nucleus Accumbens Neurons Predominantly Respond to the Outcome-Related Properties of Conditioned Stimuli Rather Than Their Behavioral-Switching Properties

2005 ◽  
Vol 94 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
David I. G. Wilson ◽  
E. M. Bowman
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Functional Role ◽  
Task Design ◽  
Neural Responses ◽  
Conditioned Stimuli ◽  
Predictive Information ◽  
Behavioral Switching ◽  
Ongoing Behavior ◽  
Single Nucleus ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens

It has been proposed that nucleus accumbens neurons respond to outcome (reward and punishment) and outcome-predictive information. Alternatively, it has been suggested that these neurons respond to salient stimuli, regardless of their outcome-predictive properties, to facilitate a switch in ongoing behavior. We recorded the activity of 82 single-nucleus accumbens neurons in thirsty rats responding within a modified go/no-go task. The task design allowed us to analyze whether neurons responded to conditioned stimuli that predicted rewarding (saccharin) or aversive (quinine) outcomes, and whether the neural responses correlated with behavioral switching. Approximately one third (28/82) of nucleus accumbens neurons exhibited 35 responses to conditioned stimuli. Over 2/3 of these responses encoded the nature of the upcoming rewarding (19/35) or aversive (5/35) outcome. No response was selective solely for the switching of the rat's behavior, although the activity of approximately one third of responses (11/35) predicted the upcoming outcome and was correlated with the presence or absence of a subsequent behavioral switch. Our data suggest a primary functional role for the nucleus accumbens in encoding outcome-predicting information and a more limited role in behavioral switching.

Extra-Synaptic Sites for Enkephalin Activation of μ-Opioid Receptors in the Rat Nucleus Accumbens

Analgesia ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 1 (4) ◽  
pp. 774-777
Author(s):  
Adena L. Svingos ◽  
Akiyoshi Moriwaki ◽  
Jia Bei Wang ◽  
George R. Uhl ◽  
Virginia M. Pickel
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Opioid Receptors ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Μ Opioid Receptors

Perinatal undernourishment provokes long-lasting alterations of clusterin and fumarate hydratase expression in the rat nucleus accumbens

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Carmen Rodríguez-Rivera ◽  
Carmen González-Martín ◽  
Elisa Fernández-Millán ◽  
Carmen Álvarez ◽  
Fernando Escrivá ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Fumarate Hydratase ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens

Effect of Moxibustion on Dopaminergic and Serotonergic Systems of Rat Nucleus Accumbens

2005 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 1607-1613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fumihiko Fukuda ◽  
Hisashi Shinbara ◽  
Kanji Yoshimoto ◽  
Tadashi Yano ◽  
Kinya Kuriyama
Keyword(s):  
Nucleus Accumbens ◽  
Rat Nucleus Accumbens
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