An amygdala-to-hypothalamus circuit for social reward.
Nat Neurosci
; 24(6): 831-842, 2021 06.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33820999
ABSTRACT
Social interactions and relationships are often rewarding, but the neural mechanisms through which social interaction drives positive experience remain poorly understood. In this study, we developed an automated operant conditioning system to measure social reward in mice and found that adult mice of both sexes display robust reinforcement of social interaction. Through cell-type-specific manipulations, we identified a crucial role for GABAergic neurons in the medial amygdala (MeA) in promoting the positive reinforcement of social interaction. Moreover, MeA GABAergic neurons mediate social reinforcement behavior through their projections to the medial preoptic area (MPOA) and promote dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens. Finally, activation of this MeA-to-MPOA circuit can robustly overcome avoidance behavior. Together, these findings establish the MeA as a key node for regulating social reward in both sexes, providing new insights into the regulation of social reward beyond the classic mesolimbic reward system.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Recompensa
/
Comportamento Social
/
Condicionamento Operante
/
Tonsila do Cerebelo
/
Hipotálamo
/
Rede Nervosa
Tipo de estudo:
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nat Neurosci
Assunto da revista:
NEUROLOGIA
Ano de publicação:
2021
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Estados Unidos