Cited by 164Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurological disorders and treatments

Translating the habenula-from rodents to humans

Open access
Boulos, Laura-Joy, Darcq, Emmanuel, Kieffer, Brigitte Lina·2017·Biological Psychiatry

Abstract

The habenula (Hb) is a central structure connecting forebrain to midbrain regions. This microstructure regulates monoaminergic systems, notably dopamine and serotonin, and integrates cognitive with emotional and sensory processing. Early preclinical data have described Hb as a brain nucleus activated in anticipation of aversive outcomes. Evidence has now accumulated to show that the Hb encodes both rewarding and aversive aspects of external stimuli, thus driving motivated behaviors and decision making. Human Hb research is still nascent but develops rapidly, alongside with the growth of neuroimaging and deep brain stimulation techniques. Not surprisingly, Hb dysfunction has been associated with psychiatric disorders, and studies in patients have established evidence for Hb involvement in major depression, addiction, and schizophrenia, as well as in pain and analgesia. Here, we summarize current knowledge from animal research and overview the existing human literature on anatomy and function of the Hb. We also discuss challenges and future directions in targeting this small brain structure in both rodents and humans. By combining animal data and human experimental studies, this review addresses the translational potential of preclinical Hb research.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.06.003

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  • The lateral habenula may play a role in modulating motivated behavior and addiction by modulating dopamine neurotransmission via actions on dopamine neurons in the VTA.

    “The lateral habenula may play a role in modulating motivated behavior and addiction by modulating dopamine neurotransmission via actions on dopamine neurons in the VTA (Hikosaka, 2010;Velasquez et al., 2014;Boulos et al., 2017).”

    From Drug Addiction: Hyperkatifeia/Negative Reinforcement as a Framework for Medications Development (2021) · cites this paper as Boulos et al., 2017

    The ADDICTION section links the lateral habenula to cocaine reward and dependence, while the SCHIZOPHRENIA section describes lateral habenula stimulation altering dopamine-related risk/reward decisions. The DEPRESSION > Rodents section mentions lateral habenula neurons projecting to the VTA, but our copy does not establish that its role in addiction operates by modulating VTA dopamine neurons. (LLM, conf=0.83)

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Authors
Boulos, L.-J., Darcq, E., & Kieffer, B. L.
Affiliations
Douglas Mental Health University Institute (CA)
Corresponding author
Kieffer, Brigitte Lina
Venue
Biological Psychiatry
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2017-02
Volume
81
Issue
4
Pages
296-305
ISSN
0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2413671571
Cited by
164
References
113
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 27 · 2020: 22 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 19 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 1
FWCI
1.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • McGill University
  • Canada Research Chairs
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (#16658, U01AA016658)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (P50DA005010)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Neurology › Neurological disorders and treatments
Keywords
habenula, monoaminergic systems, dopamine, serotonin, aversive stimuli, reward, decision-making, motivated behavior, major depressive disorder, addiction, schizophrenia, deep brain stimulation, neuroimaging, translational neuroscience, rodents
MeSH terms
Animals, Brain, Decision Making, Depressive Disorder, Dopamine, Humans, Reward, Schizophrenia, Habenula, Substance-Related Disorders, Mice, Rats, Translational Research, Biomedical, Transcriptome

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