Inhibition of ventral tegmental area projections to the nucleus accumbens shell increases premature responding in the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats

Exaggerated impulsivity and attentional impairments are hallmarks of certain disorders of behavioural control such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and addiction. Pharmacological studies have implicated elevated dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcbS) in impulsive actions. The NAcbS receives its DA input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and we have previously shown that optogenetic activation of VTA-NAcbS projections impaired impulse control and attention in the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) in rats. To better understand the role of VTA-NAcbS projections in impulsivity and attention, the present study sought to inhibit this projection using optogenetics. We demonstrate that inhibiting VTA-NAcbS efferents during the last seconds of the inter-trial interval (i.e. immediately before presentation of the instructive cue) induces exaggerated impulsive action, in the absence of changes in attentional or motivational parameters in the 5-CSRTT. Together with our earlier observations, this suggests that impulse control in the 5-CSRTT is tightly controlled by VTA-NAcbS activity, with deviations in both directions resulting in increased impulsivity.

van den Munkhof, M. H. (författare)
Luijendijk, M. C. M. (författare)
Vanderschuren, Ljmj (författare)
Adan, Roger A. H.Gothenburg University,Göteborgs universitet,Institutionen för neurovetenskap och fysiologi,Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology(Swepub:gu)xadaro (författare)
Göteborgs universitetInstitutionen för neurovetenskap och fysiologi (creator_code:org_t)

Ingår i:Brain Structure & Function: Springer Science and Business Media LLC1863-26531863-2661

Av författaren/redakt...: Flores-Dourojean ...; van den Munkhof, ...; Luijendijk, M. C ...; Vanderschuren, L ...; Adan, Roger A. H ...

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MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP: MEDICIN OCH HÄLS ...; och Klinisk medicin; och Neurologi

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