Cellular-level investigation of the reward circuitry controlling drinking

项目摘要 口渴的动物很快就会学会喝补充水分的液体。这种强化学习过程是 对于饮酒行为的初始发展和对液体偏好的持续发展来说，这是必要的。 这种学习过程如何在大脑中发挥作用还不是很清楚，但可能涉及到多巴胺的释放。 腹侧被盖(VTA DA)神经元。正如我在初步数据中所显示的，这些VTA DA神经元对 血液渗透压的变化。我建议研究VTA DA预测如何将流体状态变化转换为 行为强化。这项工作将极大地加深我们对 维持体液平衡。此外，动态平衡挑战证明了 中脑边缘多巴胺系统，被娱乐性毒品利用来促进成瘾行为。最后， 这个项目将解决一个简单但基本的问题，即大脑如何将内部的 感觉转化为行为强化。

Project Summary Thirsty animals quickly learn to drink fluids that rehydrate them. This reinforcement learning process is necessary for the initial development of drinking behavior and the continual development of fluid preferences. How this learning process works in the brain is not well understood, but likely involves dopamine-releasing ventral tegmental (VTA DA) neurons. As I show in preliminary data, these VTA DA neurons strongly respond to changes in blood osmolarity. I propose to examine how VTA DA projections transform fluid state changes into behavioral reinforcement. This work will significantly further our understanding of the neural circuitry involved in maintaining fluid balance. Additionally, homeostatic challenges demonstrate the physiological role of the mesolimbic dopamine system, which is exploited by recreational drugs to promote addictive behavior. Finally, this project will address the simple yet fundamental question of how the brain can transform an internal sensation into behavioral reinforcement.