Premium
Lighting up the brain's reward circuitry
Author(s) -
Lobo Mary Kay
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06368.x
Subject(s) - optogenetics , neuroscience , biological neural network , psychology , drugs of abuse , perspective (graphical) , neuronal circuits , brain stimulation reward , premovement neuronal activity , addiction , computer science , central nervous system , nucleus accumbens , artificial intelligence
The brain's reward circuit is critical for mediating natural reward behaviors including food, sex, and social interaction. Drugs of abuse take over this circuit and produce persistent molecular and cellular alterations in the brain regions and their neural circuitry that make up the reward pathway. Recent use of optogenetic technologies has provided novel insights into the functional and molecular role of the circuitry and cell subtypes within these circuits that constitute this pathway. This perspective will address the current and future use of light‐activated proteins, including those involved in modulating neuronal activity, cellular signaling, and molecular properties in the neural circuitry mediating rewarding stimuli and maladaptive responses to drugs of abuse.