Inhibition of ventral tegmental area projections to the nucleus accumbens shell increases premature responding in the five-choice serial reaction time task in rats

Jacques P. Flores-Dourojeanni, Marleen H. van den Munkhof, Mieneke C.M. Luijendijk, Louk J.M.J. Vanderschuren, Roger A.H. Adan*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

Exaggerated impulsivity and attentional impairments are hallmarks of certain disorders of behavioural control such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and addiction. Pharmacological studies have implicated elevated dopamine (DA) levels in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcbS) in impulsive actions. The NAcbS receives its DA input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA), and we have previously shown that optogenetic activation of VTA-NAcbS projections impaired impulse control and attention in the five-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT) in rats. To better understand the role of VTA-NAcbS projections in impulsivity and attention, the present study sought to inhibit this projection using optogenetics. We demonstrate that inhibiting VTA-NAcbS efferents during the last seconds of the inter-trial interval (i.e. immediately before presentation of the instructive cue) induces exaggerated impulsive action, in the absence of changes in attentional or motivational parameters in the 5-CSRTT. Together with our earlier observations, this suggests that impulse control in the 5-CSRTT is tightly controlled by VTA-NAcbS activity, with deviations in both directions resulting in increased impulsivity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)787-798
Number of pages12
JournalBrain Structure and Function
Volume228
Issue number3-4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2023

Keywords

  • 5-CSRTT
  • Halorhodopsin
  • Impulsivity
  • Nucleus accumbens shell
  • Optogenetics
  • Ventral tegmental area

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