Fraser Kurt M, Kim Tabitha H, Castro Matilde, Drieu Céline, Padovan-Hernandez Yasmin, Chen Bridget, Pat Fiona, Ottenheimer David J, Janak Patricia H
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore 21218, MD, USA.
Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore 21205, MD, USA.
iScience. 2024 Apr 1;27(5):109652. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109652. eCollection 2024 May 17.
Dysregulation of the central amygdala is thought to underlie aberrant choice in alcohol use disorder, but the role of central amygdala neural activity during reward choice and consumption is unclear. We recorded central amygdala neurons in male rats as they consumed alcohol or sucrose. We observed activity changes at the time of reward approach, as well as lick-entrained activity during ongoing consumption of both rewards. In choice scenarios where rats could drink sucrose, alcohol, or quinine-adulterated alcohol with or without central amygdala optogenetic stimulation, rats drank more of stimulation-paired options when the two bottles contained identical options. Given a choice among different options, central amygdala stimulation usually enhanced consumption of stimulation-paired rewards. However, optogenetic stimulation during consumption of the less-preferred option, alcohol, was unable to enhance alcohol intake while sucrose was available. These findings indicate that the central amygdala contributes to refining motivated pursuit toward the preferred available option.
中央杏仁核功能失调被认为是酒精使用障碍中异常选择行为的基础，但中央杏仁核神经活动在奖励选择和消费过程中的作用尚不清楚。我们记录了雄性大鼠在饮用酒精或蔗糖时中央杏仁核神经元的活动。我们观察到在接近奖励时的活动变化，以及在持续消费两种奖励时与舔舐同步的活动。在大鼠可以饮用蔗糖、酒精或含奎宁的酒精的选择场景中，无论有无中央杏仁核光遗传学刺激，当两个瓶子装有相同选项时，大鼠会更多地饮用与刺激配对的选项。在不同选项之间进行选择时，中央杏仁核刺激通常会增加与刺激配对奖励的消费量。然而，在饮用较不喜欢的选项酒精时进行光遗传学刺激，在有蔗糖可供选择的情况下并不能增加酒精摄入量。这些发现表明，中央杏仁核对优化对偏好的可用选项的动机性追求有贡献。
