| Budget Amount *help |
¥6,240,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,440,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
Fiscal Year 2019: ¥2,340,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥540,000)
Fiscal Year 2018: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
The neural mechanisms underlying facial expressions of animals are poorly understood. In this study, we manipulated the internal state of mice using a behavioral task or manipulation of specific neural activities to examine the subsequent orofacial movements in mice. Our results suggest that characteristic movements in the whiskers and nose of mice are evoked by reward anticipation and reward acquisition. Distinct neural circuits control facial movements during reward anticipation and reward acquisition: dopamine D1 receptor-expressing cells in the nucleus accumbens are involved in facial movements during reward acquisition but not during reward anticipation. On the other hand, neurons in the primary motor area of the cerebral cortex are involved in both types of movements, forming a key node of the neural circuit that drives reward-related facial movements.
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