2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
The role of dopaminergic signaling from the ventral tegmental area to the medial prefrontal cortex in the expression of cocaine-associated addictive behaviors
| Project/Area Number |
15K06765
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| Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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| Section | 一般 |
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| Research Field |
Neurochemistry/Neuropharmacology
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| Research Institution | Kanazawa University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
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| Keywords | addiction / ventral tegmental area / medial prefrontal cortex / cocaine / dopamine / craving |
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| Outline of Final Research Achievements |
Reinstatement of drug use is a critical problem of drug addiction. In this study, using the conditioned place preference paradigm combined with electrophysiological recordings, optogenetics and chemogenetic techniques, we found that dopaminergic transmission in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), one of the target brain regions of dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area, plays a critical role for inducing the reinstatement of cocaine use. Our data show that excitation of mPFC neurons, which is mediated by D1 dopamine receptor signaling, induces cocaine craving behaviors, including reinstatement.
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| Free Research Field |
神経薬理学
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