美国华盛顿大学医学院Meaghan C. Creed及其研究小组的研究认为腹侧arkypallidal神经元通过抑制伏隔核激活促进奖励消费。 2021年1月25日，国际学术期刊《自然-神经科学》发表了这一成果。

研究人员发现腹侧苍白球（VP）神经元亚群腹侧arkypallidal（vArky）神经元投射回伏核壳（NAcSh），从而在小鼠体内抑制NAcSh神经元。与抑制NAcSh产生的奖励消费途径一致， vArky神经元的钙离子活性与奖励适口性（与寻求奖励无关）成比例增加，并预测了自由情况下的饮水行为。VP-NAcSh途径的激活增加了持续的奖励消费，同时扩大了对奖励的反应。这些结果确立了vArky神经元在调节由NAcSh激活诱导奖励消费过程中的关键作用。

研究人员表示，NAcSh和VP对于奖励处理至关重要，但仍不清楚这些核内协调活动如何协调奖赏评估和消费的机制。抑制NAcSh活化对于奖励消费是必要的，但是这种抑制的来源仍然未知。

附：英文原文

Title: Ventral arkypallidal neurons inhibit accumbal firing to promote reward consumption

Author: Yvan M. Vachez, Jessica R. Tooley, Kavitha Abiraman, Bridget Matikainen-Ankney, Eric Casey, Tom Earnest, Leana M. Ramos, Hanna Silberberg, Elizabeth Godynyuk, Olivia Uddin, Lauren Marconi, Claire E. Le Pichon, Meaghan C. Creed

Issue&Volume: 2021-01-25

Abstract: The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) and the ventral pallidum (VP) are critical for reward processing, although the question of how coordinated activity within these nuclei orchestrates reward valuation and consumption remains unclear. Inhibition of NAcSh firing is necessary for reward consumption, but the source of this inhibition remains unknown. Here, we report that a subpopulation of VP neurons, the ventral arkypallidal (vArky) neurons, project back to the NAcSh, where they inhibit NAcSh neurons in vivo in mice. Consistent with this pathway driving reward consumption via inhibition of the NAcSh, calcium activity of vArky neurons scaled with reward palatability (which was dissociable from reward seeking) and predicted the subsequent drinking behavior during a free-access paradigm. Activation of the VP–NAcSh pathway increased ongoing reward consumption while amplifying hedonic reactions to reward. These results establish a pivotal role for vArky neurons in the promotion of reward consumption through modulation of NAcSh firing in a value-dependent manner.

DOI: 10.1038/s41593-020-00772-7

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-020-00772-7