Effects of Lesions in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex on the Activity of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons (original) (raw)

Neuropsychopharmacology volume 15, pages 437–441 (1996)Cite this article

Abstract

To determine whether lesions in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) alter the activity of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons, single unit recordings were made from DA neurons in control and lesioned rats. PFC lesions, obtained by local injection of ibotenic acid into the medial PFC, had no effect on either firing rate or bursting activity of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, the number of spontaneously active DA neurons in the VTA was significantly decreased. In the substantia nigra (SN), the same lesions increased the firing rate and had no effect on either the bursting activity of the number of active DA cells. These results suggest that PFC lesions alter the activity of DA neurons. However, VTA and SN DA neurons may respond differently to PFC lesions. © 1996 American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

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  1. From the Departments of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
    Seong S Shim MD, Ph.D, Benjamin S Bunney MD & Wei-Xing Shi Ph.D
  2. Departments of Pharmacology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
    Benjamin S Bunney MD

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  1. Seong S Shim MD, Ph.D
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  2. Benjamin S Bunney MD
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  3. Wei-Xing Shi Ph.D
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Shim, S., Bunney, B. & Shi, WX. Effects of Lesions in the Medial Prefrontal Cortex on the Activity of Midbrain Dopamine Neurons.Neuropsychopharmacol 15, 437–441 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0893-133X(96)00052-8

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