Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience,
Journal Year:
2014,
Volume and Issue:
8
Published: Dec. 9, 2014
The
medial
prefrontal
cortex
(mPFC)
is
critically
involved
in
numerous
cognitive
functions,
including
attention,
inhibitory
control,
habit
formation,
working
memory
and
long-term
memory.
Moreover,
through
its
dense
interconnectivity
with
subcortical
regions
(e.g.,
thalamus,
striatum,
amygdala
hippocampus),
the
mPFC
thought
to
exert
top-down
executive
control
over
processing
of
aversive
appetitive
stimuli.
Because
has
been
implicated
a
wide
range
emotional
stimuli,
it
function
as
central
hub
brain
circuitry
mediating
symptoms
psychiatric
disorders.
New
optogenetics
technology
enables
anatomical
functional
dissection
unprecedented
spatial
temporal
resolution.
This
provides
important
novel
insights
contribution
specific
neuronal
subpopulations
their
connectivity
health
disease
states.
In
this
review,
we
present
current
knowledge
obtained
optogenetic
methods
concerning
dysfunction
integrate
findings
from
traditional
intervention
approaches
used
investigate
animal
models
PLoS ONE,
Journal Year:
2016,
Volume and Issue:
11(9), P. e0162755 - e0162755
Published: Sept. 12, 2016
The
group
I
metabotropic
glutamate
receptors
(mGluR1a
and
mGluR5)
are
important
modulators
of
neuronal
structure
function.
Although
these
share
common
signaling
pathways,
they
capable
having
distinct
effects
on
cellular
plasticity.
We
investigated
the
individual
mGluR1a
or
mGluR5
activation
dendritic
spine
density
in
medium
spiny
neurons
nucleus
accumbens
(NAc),
which
has
become
relevant
with
potential
use
mGluR
based
therapeutics
treatment
drug
addiction.
found
that
systemic
administration
subtype-specific
positive
allosteric
had
opposite
densities.
Specifically,
modulation
decreased
densities
NAc
shell
core,
but
was
without
effect
dorsal
striatum,
whereas
increased
were
observed
modulation.
Additionally,
direct
via
CHPG
into
also
spines.
These
data
provide
insight
ability
mGluRs
to
induce
structural
plasticity
demonstrate
producing
not
just
distinct,
opposing,
density.
Pharmacological Reviews,
Journal Year:
2016,
Volume and Issue:
68(3), P. 816 - 871
Published: June 30, 2016
The
nucleus
accumbens
is
a
major
input
structure
of
the
basal
ganglia
and
integrates
information
from
cortical
limbic
structures
to
mediate
goal-directed
behaviors.
Chronic
exposure
several
classes
drugs
abuse
disrupts
plasticity
in
this
region,
allowing
drug-associated
cues
engender
pathologic
motivation
for
drug
seeking.
A
number
alterations
glutamatergic
transmission
occur
within
after
withdrawal
chronic
exposure.
These
drug-induced
neuroadaptations
serve
as
molecular
basis
relapse
vulnerability.
In
review,
we
focus
on
role
that
glutamate
signal
transduction
plays
addiction-related
First,
explore
accumbens,
including
cell
types
neuronal
populations
present
well
afferent
efferent
connections.
Next
discuss
rodent
models
addiction
assess
viability
these
testing
candidate
pharmacotherapies
prevention
relapse.
Then
provide
review
literature
describing
how
synaptic
altered
also
pharmacological
manipulation
systems
can
inhibit
seeking
laboratory
setting.
Finally,
examine
results
clinical
trials
which
designed
manipulate
have
been
effective
treating
human
patients.
Further
elucidation
alter
will
be
necessary
development
new
therapeutics
treatment
across
all
addictive
substances.
