Neural mechanisms linking need to reward

连接需要和奖励的神经机制

• 批准号: 10709770
• 负责人: JOSHUA D BERKE
• 金额: $ 90.31万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2020-08-01 至 2025-07-31
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10709770
• 关键词: Neural; mechanisms; linking; need; reward

Abstract Behavior is motivated by reward, and the most powerful rewards are those that satisfy a physiologic need. For decades, neuroscientists have studied the midbrain dopamine system to understand reward and hypothalamic circuits to understand sensing of internal needs. But how these two neural systems are interact to give rise to behaviors like eating and drinking remains poorly understood. Recently, we have used approaches for simultaneous neural recording and manipulation to observe directly the communication between these two systems. We have also mapped the signals they each receive from the gut in response to ingestion of food and fluids. This has revealed that hunger and thirst powerfully modulate the dopamine system, but do so in different ways and likely involve distinct circuit mechanisms. We propose here to build on these findings to systematically delineate how these neural circuits for need and reward interact in the brain. In Aim 1, we investigate how these circuits represent internal needs, by recording their dynamics at multiple levels of analysis under different physiologic states, and further measuring how those dynamics are influenced by targeted circuit manipulations. In Aim 2, we investigate how these circuits use information about bodily needs to drive learning about food, by monitoring and manipulating their activity during the learning process. In Aim 3, we investigate how these circuits use information about internal state to drive motivation, by monitoring and manipulating their activity during tasks where animals must evaluate competing needs and rewards. These studies will provide fundamental insight into the mechanisms by which information about body needs is utilized by the brain to generate learning and motivation.

抽象的 行为是由奖励激发的，最有力的奖励是满足生理需要的奖励。为了 几十年来，神经科学家研究了中脑多巴胺系统，以了解奖励和下丘脑 电路来理解内部需求的感知。但这两个神经系统如何相互作用以产生 饮食等行为仍然知之甚少。最近，我们使用了以下方法 同时进行神经记录和操作，以直接观察两者之间的交流 系统。我们还绘制了它们各自从肠道接收到的信号，以响应食物的摄入和 液体。这表明饥饿和口渴可以强有力地调节多巴胺系统，但作用方式不同 方式并可能涉及不同的电路机制。我们在此建议以这些发现为基础 系统地描述这些需要和奖励的神经回路如何在大脑中相互作用。在目标 1 中，我们 通过记录多个层次的动态来研究这些电路如何代表内部需求 分析不同生理状态下的情况，并进一步测量这些动态如何受到影响 有针对性的电路操作。在目标 2 中，我们研究这些回路如何使用有关身体需求的信息 通过在学习过程中监控和操纵他们的活动来推动对食物的学习。在目标 3 中， 我们通过监控和研究这些电路如何使用有关内部状态的信息来驱动动机 在动物必须评估竞争性需求和奖励的任务中操纵它们的活动。这些 研究将为利用有关身体需求的信息的机制提供基本见解 由大脑产生学习和动机。