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Amygdala mu‐opioid receptors mediate the motivating influence of cue‐triggered reward expectations
Author(s) -
Lichtenberg Nina T.,
Wassum Kate M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.13477
Subject(s) - basolateral amygdala , cued recall , psychology , neuroscience , amygdala , μ opioid receptor , opioid , recall , action (physics) , unobservable , reward system , opioid receptor , receptor , cognitive psychology , free recall , medicine , philosophy , physics , epistemology , quantum mechanics
Environmental reward‐predictive stimuli can retrieve from memory a specific reward expectation that allows them to motivate action and guide choice. This process requires the basolateral amygdala ( BLA ), but little is known about the signaling systems necessary within this structure. Here we examined the role of the neuromodulatory opioid receptor system in the BLA in such cue‐directed action using the outcome‐specific Pavlovian‐to‐instrumental transfer ( PIT ) test in rats. Inactivation of BLA mu‐, but not delta‐opioid receptors was found to dose‐dependently attenuate the ability of a reward‐predictive cue to selectively invigorate the performance of actions directed at the same unique predicted reward (i.e. to express outcome‐specific PIT ). BLA mu‐opioid receptor inactivation did not affect the ability of a reward itself to similarly motivate action (outcome‐specific reinstatement), suggesting a more selective role for the BLA mu‐opioid receptor in the motivating influence of currently unobservable rewarding events. These data reveal a new role for BLA mu‐opioid receptor activation in the cued recall of precise reward memories and the use of this information to motivate specific action plans.