Prefrontal Neurons Projecting to the Dorsomedial Striatum and Insular Cortex Support Reward Learning.

A basolateral amygdala to dorsolateral striatum projection modulates stimulus-evoked motor behavior

Summary The dorsal striatum is divided into dorsomedial (DMS) and dorsolateral (DLS) subregions, which support distinct aspects of motor learning. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) encodes emotionally salient information and can influence striatal function, but its connection to the sensorimotor DLS remains poorly underst...

Dissociable cortical-hippocampal dopamine dynamics support memory-guided behavior.

Flexible behavior depends on neural mechanisms that integrate memory with ongoing motivational demands. Studies have revealed dopamine (DA) to have an essential role in mediating memory, behavioral flexibility, and decision-making, yet the dopaminergic contributions within prefrontal-hippocampal circuits remain poorly...

Functional Dissociation of Anterior Cingulate Cortex Excitatory and Inhibitory Neurons in Sustained Attention and Impulse Control.

A prefrontal cortex-piriform cortex circuit mediates diminished interest.

Diminished interest constitutes a core behavioral deficit across multiple neuropsychiatric conditions, yet its neural mechanism remains poorly understood. Here, we identify projection-biased and transcriptionally distinct subsets of glutamatergic neurons in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) that preferentially...

Spatially confined dopamine from locus coeruleus axons selectively shapes hippocampal dynamics and action timing

Neuromodulatory systems project broadly, yet computations engage specific neuronal populations. Whether neuromodulation can selectively influence task-engaged neurons remains unclear. During goal-directed navigation, neurons in the locus coeruleus (LC), the brain’s principal norepinephrine source, responded at navigati...

Single-neuron connectome of nucleus accumbens.

The nucleus accumbens (NAc) orchestrates a range of critical physiological functions, including reward and motivation, yet single-neuron-level connectivity of its inputs and outputs remains less comprehensively characterized. Here, we examined the organizing principle of input and projection of medium spiny neurons (MS...