Timing-Dependent Regulation of Evoked Spiking in Nucleus Accumbens Neurons by Integration of Limbic and Prefrontal Cortical Inputs

Single nucleus accumbens (NAcc) neurons receive excitatory synaptic input from cortical and limbic structures, and the integration of converging goal- and motivation-related signals in these neurons influences reward-directed actions. While limbic/cortical synaptic input summation has been characterized at subthreshold intensities, the manner in which multiple inputs govern NAcc neuron spike discharge has not been measured and is poorly understood. Single NAcc neurons were recorded in urethane-anesthetized rats, and spiking was evoked by coincident stimulation of two major NAcc afferent regions: the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). BLA input increased NAcc spiking elicited by mPFC stimulation depending on the timing of the stimulation pulses, consistent with the summation of monosynaptically evoked excitatory activity. When mPFC input intensity was below threshold for evoked spiking, the addition of BLA input produced the largest facilitation of evoked spiking, and the latency of the evoked spikes reflected the latency of the individual inputs. When mPFC inputs were stimulated at higher intensities, BLA-mediated facilitation was weaker, and the spike latency reflected only the mPFC input. Thus NAcc neurons integrate both the magnitude and timing of afferent synaptic activity, suggesting that NAcc neuron output is strongly dependent on the comparative magnitude of synaptic activity in its afferent structures. These interactions may be crucial integrative mechanisms that allow motivational and cognitive information to produce appropriate reward-directed actions.