Interaction between prefrontal cortex and mesofrontal dopamine during cue-reward association learning

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25890024
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: TAO Kentaro 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 研究員 (10708481)
• Research Collaborator: FUJISAWA Shigeyoshi 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, チームリーダー (20589395)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-08-30 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 神経生理学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In this study, I utilized classical reward conditioning paradigm under head-restrained apparatus using mice. I found that fast-spiking interneurons (FS INs) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) respond both to water rewards and reward predicting cues. Both water rewards and optogenetic stimulation of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA elicited firing of FS INs in the mPFC. Conversely, the vast majority of regular-spiking neurons were inhibited by these manipulations. Subcutaneous injection of SCH23390, a dopamine receptor D1 (D1R) antagonist, suppressed firing of FS INs induced by rewards. These results suggest that mesoprefrontal dopaminergic neuronal firing inhibit overall neuronal activity in the mPFC in a D1R-dependent manner.

Free Research Field

システム神経生理学