Chronic Stress Prevents Cortico-Accumbens Cue Encoding and Alters Conditioned Approach

Authors

Mitchell Spring, Marquette University
Aaron Caccamise, Marquette University
Elizabeth A. Panther, Marquette University
Bethany M. Windsor, Marquette University
Karan R. Soni, Marquette University
Jayme R. McReynolds, Marquette UniversityFollow
Daniel S. Wheeler, Marquette University
John R. Mantsch, Marquette UniversityFollow
Robert A. Wheeler, Marquette UniversityFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

3-17-2021

Publisher

Society of Neuroscience

Source Publication

Journal of Neuroscience

Source ISSN

0270-6474

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1869-20.2021

Abstract

Chronic stress impairs the function of multiple brain regions and causes severe hedonic and motivational deficits. One brain region known to be susceptible to these effects is the PFC. Neurons in this region, specifically neuronal projections from the prelimbic region (PL) to the nucleus accumbens core (NAcC), have a significant role in promoting motivated approach. However, little is known about how activity in this pathway changes during associative learning to encode cues that promote approach. Less is known about how activity in this pathway may be altered by stress. In this study, an intersectional fiber photometry approach was used in male Sprague Dawley rats engaged in a Pavlovian autoshaping design to characterize the involvement of the PL-NAcC pathway in the typical acquisition of learned approach (directed at both the predictive cue and the goal), and its potential alteration by stress. Specifically, the hypothesis that neural activity in PL-NAcC would encode a Pavlovian approach cue and that prior exposure to chronic stress would disrupt both the nature of conditioned approach and the encoding of a cue that promotes approach was tested. Results of the study demonstrated that the rapid acquisition of conditioned approach was associated with cue-induced PL-NAcC activity. Prior stress both reduced cue-directed behavior and impaired the associated cortical activity. These findings demonstrate that prior stress diminishes the task-related activity of a brain pathway that regulates approach behavior. In addition, the results support the interpretation that stress disrupts reward processing by altering the incentive value of associated cues.

Comments

Published version. Journal of Neuroscience, Vol. 41, No. 11 (March 17, 2021): (2428-2436). DOI. © 2021 The Authors. Used with permission.

Recommended Citation

Spring, Mitchell; Caccamise, Aaron; Panther, Elizabeth A.; Windsor, Bethany M.; Soni, Karan R.; McReynolds, Jayme R.; Wheeler, Daniel S.; Mantsch, John R.; and Wheeler, Robert A., "Chronic Stress Prevents Cortico-Accumbens Cue Encoding and Alters Conditioned Approach" (2021). Biomedical Sciences Faculty Research and Publications. 235.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/biomedsci_fac/235