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Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption

An emerging literature suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for the ability to track behavioral outcomes over time and has a critical role in successful foraging. Here, we examine this issue by analyzing changes in neuronal spike activity and local field potentials in the rat...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Horst, Nicole K., Laubach, Mark
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Frontiers Media S.A. 2013
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3622888/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23596384
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00056
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author Horst, Nicole K.
Laubach, Mark
author_facet Horst, Nicole K.
Laubach, Mark
author_sort Horst, Nicole K.
collection PubMed
description An emerging literature suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for the ability to track behavioral outcomes over time and has a critical role in successful foraging. Here, we examine this issue by analyzing changes in neuronal spike activity and local field potentials in the rat mPFC in relation to the consumption of rewarding stimuli. Using multi-electrode recording methods, we simultaneously recorded from ensembles of neurons and field potentials in the mPFC during the performance of an operant-delayed alternation task and a variable-interval licking procedure. In both tasks, we found that consummatory behavior (licking) activates many mPFC neurons and is associated with theta-band phase locking by mPFC field potentials. Many neurons that were modulated by the delivery of reward were also modulated when rats emitted bouts of licks during the period of consumption. The majority of these licking-modulated neurons were found in the rostral part of the prelimbic cortex, a region that is heavily interconnected with the gustatory insular cortex and projects to subcortical feeding-related centers. Based on the tight coupling between spike activity, theta-band phase locking, and licking behavior, we suggest that reward-related activity in the mPFC is driven by consummatory behavior.
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spelling pubmed-36228882013-04-17 Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption Horst, Nicole K. Laubach, Mark Front Neurosci Neuroscience An emerging literature suggests that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is crucial for the ability to track behavioral outcomes over time and has a critical role in successful foraging. Here, we examine this issue by analyzing changes in neuronal spike activity and local field potentials in the rat mPFC in relation to the consumption of rewarding stimuli. Using multi-electrode recording methods, we simultaneously recorded from ensembles of neurons and field potentials in the mPFC during the performance of an operant-delayed alternation task and a variable-interval licking procedure. In both tasks, we found that consummatory behavior (licking) activates many mPFC neurons and is associated with theta-band phase locking by mPFC field potentials. Many neurons that were modulated by the delivery of reward were also modulated when rats emitted bouts of licks during the period of consumption. The majority of these licking-modulated neurons were found in the rostral part of the prelimbic cortex, a region that is heavily interconnected with the gustatory insular cortex and projects to subcortical feeding-related centers. Based on the tight coupling between spike activity, theta-band phase locking, and licking behavior, we suggest that reward-related activity in the mPFC is driven by consummatory behavior. Frontiers Media S.A. 2013-04-11 /pmc/articles/PMC3622888/ /pubmed/23596384 http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00056 Text en Copyright © 2013 Horst and Laubach. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in other forums, provided the original authors and source are credited and subject to any copyright notices concerning any third-party graphics etc.
spellingShingle Neuroscience
Horst, Nicole K.
Laubach, Mark
Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title_full Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title_fullStr Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title_full_unstemmed Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title_short Reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
title_sort reward-related activity in the medial prefrontal cortex is driven by consumption
topic Neuroscience
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3622888/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23596384
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2013.00056
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