The exploration of brain reward and aversion circuits has been a pivotal area of neuroscience research since the mid-20th century, initiated by the groundbreaking work of Olds and Milner on rewarding brain stimulation and Flynn's studies on stimulation-evoked defensive behavior. By the 1970s, researchers had mapped pathways mediating rewarding and aversive stimulation from the upper brainstem to the basal forebrain, leading to the hypothesis of distinct medial aversion and lateral reward systems.
The facilitation of brain stimulation reward by drugs of abuse, particularly amphetamines, suggested a link between drug abuse potential and activation of the reward system. The visualization of catecholamine neurons, whose trajectories mirrored the mapped reward system, further supported this connection, culminating in the hypothesis that dopamine might be a key reward transmitter. However, the dopamine reward hypothesis faced challenges, as studies showed dopamine neurons were activated by both rewarding and aversive stimuli, suggesting a more complex role for dopamine in mediating behavior.
By the early 21st century, it was recognized that dopamine neurons are organized into groups with distinct properties, with some neurons responding to aversive stimuli and others responding to rewarding stimuli.
Recent advancements in selective neuronal stimulation and identification techniques have provided new insights into the intricate systems underlying reward and aversion, highlighting the need for a comprehensive review of progress in this field.
This Research Topic aims to collect review articles and new experimental results that enhance our understanding of how dopaminergic and other inputs to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex mediate both reward and aversion, and how these systems interact to control behavior. The research will focus on elucidating the roles of dopamine receptors and non-dopaminergic inputs through various pathways, addressing key questions about the mechanisms underlying reward and aversion processing in the brain. By examining these interactions, the research seeks to clarify the complex dynamics of reward and aversion circuits and their implications for behavior and potential therapeutic interventions.
To gather further insights into the intricate dynamics of reward and aversion circuits, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The role of dopamine receptors in mediating reward and aversion.
- Non-dopaminergic inputs to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
- The interaction between dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic systems in behavior control.
- Advances in selective neuronal stimulation and identification techniques.
- The implications of reward and aversion circuit dynamics for drug addiction and therapeutic interventions.
- Comparative studies of medial and lateral dopamine neuron groups and their responses to stimuli.
- The integration of endogenous opioid systems into the reward and aversion framework.
The exploration of brain reward and aversion circuits has been a pivotal area of neuroscience research since the mid-20th century, initiated by the groundbreaking work of Olds and Milner on rewarding brain stimulation and Flynn's studies on stimulation-evoked defensive behavior. By the 1970s, researchers had mapped pathways mediating rewarding and aversive stimulation from the upper brainstem to the basal forebrain, leading to the hypothesis of distinct medial aversion and lateral reward systems.
The facilitation of brain stimulation reward by drugs of abuse, particularly amphetamines, suggested a link between drug abuse potential and activation of the reward system. The visualization of catecholamine neurons, whose trajectories mirrored the mapped reward system, further supported this connection, culminating in the hypothesis that dopamine might be a key reward transmitter. However, the dopamine reward hypothesis faced challenges, as studies showed dopamine neurons were activated by both rewarding and aversive stimuli, suggesting a more complex role for dopamine in mediating behavior.
By the early 21st century, it was recognized that dopamine neurons are organized into groups with distinct properties, with some neurons responding to aversive stimuli and others responding to rewarding stimuli.
Recent advancements in selective neuronal stimulation and identification techniques have provided new insights into the intricate systems underlying reward and aversion, highlighting the need for a comprehensive review of progress in this field.
This Research Topic aims to collect review articles and new experimental results that enhance our understanding of how dopaminergic and other inputs to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex mediate both reward and aversion, and how these systems interact to control behavior. The research will focus on elucidating the roles of dopamine receptors and non-dopaminergic inputs through various pathways, addressing key questions about the mechanisms underlying reward and aversion processing in the brain. By examining these interactions, the research seeks to clarify the complex dynamics of reward and aversion circuits and their implications for behavior and potential therapeutic interventions.
To gather further insights into the intricate dynamics of reward and aversion circuits, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The role of dopamine receptors in mediating reward and aversion.
- Non-dopaminergic inputs to the nucleus accumbens and prefrontal cortex.
- The interaction between dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic systems in behavior control.
- Advances in selective neuronal stimulation and identification techniques.
- The implications of reward and aversion circuit dynamics for drug addiction and therapeutic interventions.
- Comparative studies of medial and lateral dopamine neuron groups and their responses to stimuli.
- The integration of endogenous opioid systems into the reward and aversion framework.