Abstract
Corticobasal ganglia networks coursing through the striatum are key structures for reward-guided behaviors. The ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens (nAc)) and its reciprocal connection with the ventral tegmental area (VTA) represent a primary component of the reward system, but reward-guided learning also involves the dorsal striatum and dopaminergic inputs from the substantia nigra. The majority of neurons in the striatum (>90%) are GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs), but both the input to and the output from these neurons are dynamically controlled by striatal interneurons. Dopamine is a key neurotransmitter in reward and reward-guided learning, and the physiological activity of GABAergic and cholinergic interneurons is regulated by dopaminergic transmission in a complex manner. Here we review the role of striatal interneurons in modulating striatal output during drug reward, with special emphasis on alcohol.
Highlights
The majority of neurons (>90%) in the rodent striatum are GABAergic medium spiny neurons (MSNs)
Local microcircuits play an important role in regulating striatal output, with MSNs forming a weak lateral inhibitory network, while GABAergic interneurons, despite a lower abundance, exert a more powerful control over striatal excitability [13]
fast-spiking interneurons (FSI) filter cortical information, and cross correlation histograms of FSI to MSN pairs in monkey imply that the spikes of MSNs follow those of FSIs and that both are driven by cortical input [22, 31]
Summary
The striatum collects inputs from the entire neocortex and projects to other nuclei in the basal ganglia, reaching cortical areas implicated in motor planning and execution [1]. The nAc is a part of the brain reward system and is recruited in pavlovian conditioning [6,7,8] This structure can be further subdivided into a shell and core region, where the core bears a greater resemblance to the dorsal striatum, while the shell may be considered a limbic structure and a part of the extended amygdala [9]. Local microcircuits play an important role in regulating striatal output, with MSNs forming a weak lateral inhibitory network (feedback inhibition), while GABAergic interneurons, despite a lower abundance, exert a more powerful control over striatal excitability (feedforward inhibition) [13]. The striatum contains cholinergic interneurons, which have been implicated in controlling both glutamatergic and GABAergic transmission onto projecting MSNs [14,15,16]. Includes highly interconnected astrocytes that support neuronal activity [19]
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