Cortical Structure and Function Group, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Laboratory for Neuroregeneration, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Meibergdreef 47, 1105 BA Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Science. 2021 May 14;372(6543). doi: 10.1126/science.abe9681.
Exploring the physical and social environment is essential for understanding the surrounding world. We do not know how novelty-seeking motivation initiates the complex sequence of actions that make up investigatory behavior. We found in mice that inhibitory neurons in the medial zona incerta (ZIm), a subthalamic brain region, are essential for the decision to investigate an object or a conspecific. These neurons receive excitatory input from the prelimbic cortex to signal the initiation of exploration. This signal is modulated in the ZIm by the level of investigatory motivation. Increased activity in the ZIm instigates deep investigative action by inhibiting the periaqueductal gray region. A subpopulation of inhibitory ZIm neurons expressing tachykinin 1 (TAC1) modulates the investigatory behavior.
探索物理和社会环境对于理解周围世界至关重要。我们不知道寻求新奇的动机是如何引发构成探究行为的复杂动作序列的。我们在小鼠中发现，内侧丘脑下带（ZIm）的抑制性神经元对于决定探究物体或同种动物至关重要。这些神经元接收来自前额叶皮层的兴奋性输入，以发出探索的起始信号。ZIm 中的这种信号通过探究动机的水平进行调制。ZIm 中的活动增加会通过抑制导水管周围灰质区域来引发深入的探究行为。表达速激肽 1（TAC1）的抑制性 ZIm 神经元亚群调节探究行为。
