Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch
Intracranial Injections Unit
Overview
This research group studies neurobiological mechanisms of motivation, affect and reinforcement. Particularly, we are interested in defining brain reward circuitry with respect to neurotransmitters, regions and connectivity. We also emphasize theoretical (conceptual) issues on the roles of dopamine and related systems in motivated behaviors.
Areas of Research and Future Directions
Behavioral, Affective and Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuropsychopharmacology, Motivation, Emotion, Learning
Our ongoing research and immediate directions can be classified into two lines of research. One concerns psychological properties of intracranial rewarding drugs. We examine their effects on incentive motivation, affective state and memory consolidation. In addition, we are investigating functional connectivity: how are known reward regions connected from each other and how do they interact with aversive systems? We are particularly interested in the following regions: the mesolimbic dopamine system, dorsal striatum, ventral pallidum, prefrontal cortex, lateral habenula, supramammillary nucleus, medial tegmental nucleus, and midbrain raphe nuclei.
Branch Chief and PI Names
Roy A. Wise
Chief, Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch
Satoshi Ikemoto
Tenure-track Investigator
Members in the Unit
• Satoshi Ikemoto, PhD - Chief
• Junran Cao, PhD
• Thomas Jhou, PhD
• Lynnsay Marsan
• Rick Shin, PhD
• Sierra Webb
• Shengping Xu
Recent Selected Publications
Liu ZH, Shin R, Ikemoto S (2008). Dual role of medial A10 dopamine neurons in affective encoding. Neuropsychopharmacology, in press.
Ikemoto S (2007). Dopamine reward circuitry: Two projection systems from the ventral midbrain to the nucleus accumbens-olfactory tubercle complex. Brain Research Reviews, 56: 27-78. (Review)
Liu ZH, Ikemoto S (2007). The midbrain raphe nuclei mediate primary reinforcement via GABAA receptors. European Journal of Neuroscience, 25:735-743.
Zangen A, Solinas M, Ikemoto S, Goldberg SR, Wise RA (2006). Two brain sites for cannabinoid reward. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26: 4901-4907.
Ikemoto S, Qin M, Liu ZH. (2006). Primary reinforcing effects of nicotine are triggered from multiple regions both inside and outside the ventral tegmental area. The Journal of Neuroscience, 26: 723-730.
Ikemoto S, Qin M, Liu ZH (2005). The functional divide for primary reinforcement of d-amphetamine lies between the medial and lateral ventral striatum: Is the division of the accumbens core, shell and olfactory tubercle valid? The Journal of Neuroscience, 25:5061-5065.
Ikemoto S (2005). The supramammillary nucleus mediates primary reinforcement via GABAA receptors. Neuropsychopharmacology, 30:1088-1095.
Ikemoto S, Wise RA (2004). Mapping of chemical trigger zones for reward. Neuropharmacology, 47: 190-201. (Review)
Ikemoto S, Witkin BM, Zangen A, Wise RA (2004). Rewarding effects of AMPA administration into the supramammillary or posterior hypothalamic nuclei but not the ventral tegmental area. The Journal of Neuroscience, 24: 5758-5765.
Ikemoto S (2003). Involvement of the olfactory tubercle in cocaine reward: intracranial self-administration studies. The Journal of Neuroscience, 23: 9305-9311.
Ikemoto S, Wise RA (2002). Rewarding effects of the cholinergic agents carbachol and neostigmine in the posterior ventral tegmental area. The Journal of Neuroscience, 22:9895-9904.
Ikemoto S (2002). Ventral striatal anatomy of locomotor activity induced by cocaine, d-amphetamine, dopamine and D1/D2 agonists. Neuroscience, 113:939-955.
Zangen A, Ikemoto S, Zadina JE, Wise RA (2002). Rewarding and psychomotor stimulant effects of endomorphin-1: anteroposterior differences within the ventral tegmental area and lack of effect in nucleus accumbens. The Journal of Neuroscience, 22:7225-7233.
Burgdorf J, Knutson B, Panksepp J, Ikemoto S (2001). Nucleus accumbens amphetamine microinjections unconditionally elicit 50 kHz ultrasonic vocalization in rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 115:940-944.
Ikemoto S, Sharpe LG (2001). A head-attachable device for injecting nanoliter volumes of drug solutions into brain sites of freely moving rats. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 110:135-140.
Ikemoto S, Panksepp J (1999). The role of nucleus accumbens dopamine in motivated behavior: A unifying interpretation with special reference to reward seeking. Brain Research Reviews, 31:6-41. (Review) |
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Behavioral Neuroscience Research Branch
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