scholarly journals Transcriptional profiling aligned with in situ expression image analysis reveals mosaically expressed molecular markers for GABA neuron sub‐groups in the ventral tegmental area

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 3732-3749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor J. Paul ◽  
Kyoko Tossell ◽  
Mark A. Ungless
Keyword(s):  
Image Analysis ◽  
Molecular Markers ◽  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Transcriptional Profiling ◽  
Gaba Neuron ◽  
Ventral Tegmental

scholarly journals Nicotinic and Cholinergic Modulation of Reward Prediction Error Computations in the Ventral Tegmental Area: a Minimal Circuit Model

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Deperrois ◽  
Boris Gutkin
Keyword(s):  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Acetylcholine Receptors ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Reward Prediction ◽  
Gaba Neuron ◽  
Ventral Tegmental ◽  
Reward Information ◽  
The Brain

AbstractDopamine (DA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are thought to encode reward prediction errors (RPE) by comparing actual and expected rewards. In recent years, much work has been done to identify how the brain uses and computes this signal.While several lines of evidence suggest the the interplay of he DA and the inhibitory interneurons in the VTA implements the RPE computaiton, it still remains unclear how the DA neurons learn key quantities, for example the amplitude and the timing of primary rewards during conditioning tasks. Furthermore, exogenous nicotine and endogenous acetylcholine, acting on both VTA DA and GABA (γ - aminobutyric acid) neurons via nicotinic-acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), also likely affect these computations. To explore the potential circuit-level mechanisms for RPE computations during classical-conditioning tasks, we developed a minimal computational model of the VTA circuitry. The model was designed to account for several reward-related properties of VTA afferents and recent findings on VTA GABA neuron dynamics during conditioning.With our minimal model, we showed that the RPE can be learned by a two-speed process computing reward timing and magnitude. Including a model of nAChR-mediated currents in the VTA DA-GABA circuit, we also showed that nicotine should reduce the acetylcholine action on the VTA GABA neurons by receptor desensitization and therefore potentially boost the DA responses to reward information. Together, our results delineate the mechanisms by which RPE are computed in the brain, and suggest a hypothesis on nicotine-mediated effects on reward-related perception and decision-making.

scholarly journals Cocaine disinhibits dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area via use-dependent blockade of GABA neuron voltage-sensitive sodium channels

2008 ◽  
Vol 28 (10) ◽  
pp. 2028-2040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott C. Steffensen ◽  
Seth R. Taylor ◽  
Malia L. Horton ◽  
Elise N. Barber ◽  
Laura T. Lyle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ventral Tegmental Area ◽  
Sodium Channels ◽  
Dopamine Neurons ◽  
Gaba Neuron ◽  
Ventral Tegmental
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