Cellular-level investigation of the reward circuitry controlling drinking

项目摘要 口渴的动物很快就学会喝液体来补充水分。这个强化学习过程是 这对于饮酒行为的最初发展和流体偏好的持续发展是必要的。 这种学习过程在大脑中是如何工作的还不清楚，但可能涉及多巴胺的释放。 腹侧被盖（VTA DA）神经元。正如我在初步数据中所显示的，这些腹侧被盖区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化为 行为强化这项工作将大大促进我们对参与神经回路的理解。 保持体液平衡此外，稳态挑战证明了 中脑边缘多巴胺系统，这是利用娱乐性药物，以促进成瘾行为。最后， 这个项目将解决一个简单而基本的问题，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.