Selective Cortical Networks in Cocaine Seeking

复吸是可卡因成瘾的一个持续性问题，许多重要方面的大脑机制 参与者仍然未知。大鼠模型中可卡因复发的一个关键区域是内侧前额叶皮层 特别是，mPFC与延髓核（NA）和腹侧被盖区的相互作用 (VTA)对于恢复已消失的可卡因寻求至关重要。该中心的项目1和2侧重于 在灭绝过程中参与mPFC到NA通路的分子和细胞机制， 复职对于mPFC中投射到NA或接收NA的神经元的活动知之甚少。 多巴胺（DA）从腹侧被盖区，在这些可卡因行为。在这里，我们将使用Fos标记和单位记录 在消退和恢复期间测量被识别为投射到 NA核或壳。我们还将利用TH：：Cre大鼠和最近在中国实施的光遗传学方法。 我们的实验室确定内源性DA释放对前边缘皮层神经元冲动活动的影响 在灭绝和恢复期间投射到NA核心。总之，这些研究将提供一个全面的 在可卡因行为过程中激活的NA投射mPFC神经元的地图，并测量其 在切除或恢复期间，与特定任务刺激和行为有关的冲动活动 寻找可卡因这些发现将提供一个详细的电路分析的行为相关的活动，在这些 关键的mPFC神经元，这将是重要的信息，以扩大分子和细胞水平的研究结果 这个中心的其他项目。

Relapse is a persistent problem in cocaine addiction, and many important aspects ofthe brain mechanisms involved remain unknown. One key area for cocaine relapse in the rat model is the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC); in particular, mPFC interactions with the nucleus accumbens (NA) and ventral tegmental area (VTA) are critical for reinstatement of extinguished cocaine seeking. Projects 1 and 2 in this center focus on molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the mPFC-to-NA pathway during extinction and reinstatement. Little is known about the activities of neurons in mPFC that project to NA, or that receive dopamine (DA) from VTA, during these cocaine behaviors. Here, we will use Fos labeling and unit recording during extinction and reinstatement to measure impulse activity of mPFC neurons identified as projecting to NA core or shell. We also will capitalize on TH::Cre rats and optogenetics methods recently implemented in our lab to determine the influence of endogenous DA release on impulse activity of prelimbic cortex neurons that project to NA core during extinction and reinstatement. Together, these studies will provide an overall map of NA-projecting mPFC neurons that are activated during cocaine behaviors, and also measure their impulse activities with respect to specific task stimuli and behaviors during exinction or reinstatement of cocaine seeking. These findings will provide a detailed circuit analysis of behavior-related activities in these key mPFC neurons that will be important information to extend results of molecular- and cellular-level studies in other projects of this center.