Histological analyses of reinforcement circuitry

我们这项研究的主要目的是确定腹侧纹状体到大脑其他部分的详细神经连接。 行为研究表明，腹侧纹状体的内侧部分，其中包括内侧嗅球壳和内侧嗅结节，比外侧腹侧纹状体，其中包括嗅球核，腹侧壳和外侧结节，更负责精神兴奋剂的初级强化作用。 将顺行示踪剂PHAL注射到腹侧纹状体的亚区中，并表征顺行标记神经元的表达。 这项研究仍在进行中。 我们的分析开始表明，预测的嗅结节主要局限于腹侧苍白球与mediolateral地形。

Our major aim of this study is to determine detailed neural connections from the ventral striatum to the rest of the brain. Behavioral studies indicate that the medial portion of the ventral striatum, which includes the medial accumbens shell and medial olfactory tubercle, is more responsible for primary reinforcing effects of psychomotor stimulants than the lateral ventral striatum, which includes the accumbens core, ventral shell, and lateral tubercle. The anterograde tracer PHAL was injected into subregions of the ventral striatum, and the expression of anterogradely labeled neurons were characterized. This study is still ongoing. Our analysis begins to indicate that projections of the olfactory tubercle are largely confined to the ventral pallidum with mediolateral topography.