Functional Coupling between the Prefrontal Cortex and Dopamine Neurons in the Ventral Tegmental Area

• DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5347-06.2007
• Publication Date: 2007-05-16T16:55:41Z
• Authors: Ming Gao; Chang-Liang Liu; Shen Yang; Guo-Zhang Jin; Benjamin S. Bunney; Wei-Xing Shi
• Keywords: Tetrodotoxin; Bursting

Stimulation of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) has been shown to have an excitatory influence on dopamine (DA) neurons. We report here that, under nonstimulated conditions, activity DA neurons in ventral tegmental area (VTA) also covaries, a subsecond timescale, with PFC cells. Thus, 67% VTA recorded chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats, firing cell displayed slow oscillation (SO) that was highly coherent The SO suppressed by transections immediately caudal or intra-PFC infusion tetrodotoxin, suggesting it depends inputs derived from PFC. Unexpectedly, most reversed phase relative activity, at least part information is transferred indirectly through inhibitory relay These results, together those reported previously, suggest can act multiple pathways exert both and influences observed functional coupling between further suggests these not only allow bidirectional control PFC, but enable action potential-dependent release be coordinated, glutamate terminals. Further understanding this coordinated may provide important new insights into brain functions disorders thought involve