Cited by 425Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorMemory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Linking context with reward: a functional circuit from hippocampal CA3 to ventral tegmental area

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Luo, Alice H., Tahsili-Fahadan, Pouya, Wise, Roy A., Lupica, Carl R., Aston-Jones, Gary·2011·Science

Abstract

Reward-motivated behavior is strongly influenced by the learned significance of contextual stimuli in the environment. However, the neural pathways that mediate context-reward relations are not well understood. We have identified a circuit from area CA3 of dorsal hippocampus to ventral tegmental area (VTA) that uses lateral septum (LS) as a relay. Theta frequency stimulation of CA3 excited VTA dopamine (DA) neurons and inhibited non-DA neurons. DA neuron excitation was likely mediated by disinhibition because local antagonism of γ-aminobutyric acid receptors blocked responses to CA3 stimulation. Inactivating components of the CA3-LS-VTA pathway blocked evoked responses in VTA and also reinstatement of cocaine-seeking by contextual stimuli. This transsynaptic link between hippocampus and VTA appears to be an important substrate by which environmental context regulates goal-directed behavior.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1204622

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  • The lateral septum serves as a hub in the brain by integrating social, emotional, and contextual information from different brain systems and contributing to the coordination of adaptive context-specific behavioral responses.

    “this area serves as a hub in the brain by integrating social, emotional, and contextual information from different brain systems and contributing to the coordination of adaptive context-specific behavioral responses (Sheehan et al., 2004; Luo et al., 2011)”

    From Sex-specific modulation of juvenile social play behavior by vasopressin and oxytocin depends on social context (2014) · cites this paper as Luo et al., 2011

    The paper describes the lateral septum as a relay carrying contextual information from hippocampal CA3 to the VTA, and reports that this pathway contributes to context-induced cocaine-seeking (Abstract; no page supplied). It does not establish that the lateral septum integrates social and emotional information from multiple brain systems or serves as a general hub for adaptive behavior. (LLM, conf=0.87)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The LS is necessary for the formation of cocaine conditioned place preference in rats.

    “is necessary for the formation of cocaine conditioned place preference in rats [36,37].”

    From Involvement of dopamine, but not norepinephrine, in the sex-specific regulation of juvenile socially rewarding behavior by vasopressin (2018) · cites this paper as [36]

    The paper’s Abstract (page not available) identifies the lateral septum as part of the CA3–LS–VTA circuit and reports that inactivating the cd-LS–to–VTA component blocked context-induced reinstatement of extinguished cocaine-seeking. It does not establish that the LS is necessary for the formation of cocaine conditioned place preference; reinstatement and preference formation are different outcomes. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The lateral septum plays a key role in modulating context-specific motivational states.

    “and the lateral septum plays a key role in modulating context-specific motivational states (Sheehan et al., 2004; Luo et al., 2011; Sartor and Aston-Jones, 2012).”
  • The LS is part of the brain reward system.

    “other studies indicating that the LS is part of the brain reward system.”
  • Our results provide novel insights into the relationship between midbrain dopaminergic neurons, encoding salient information about an environment, and hippocampal assemblies, providing representations of space, in modulating memory according to the value of the information to be remembered.

    “Our results thus provide novel insights into the relationship between midbrain dopaminergic neurons, encoding salient information about an environment9,10,16,19,20, and hippocampal assemblies, providing representations of space1-3, in modulating memory according to the value of the information to be remembered.”

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Authors
Luo, A. H., Tahsili-Fahadan, P., Wise, R. A., Lupica, C. R., & Aston-Jones, G.
Affiliations
  • National Institutes of Health (US)
  • Department of Neurosciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
Corresponding author
Luo, Alice H.
Venue
Science
Published
2011-07-15
Volume
333
Issue
6040
Pages
353-357
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2013438045
Cited by
425
References
17
Citations by year
2026: 15 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 30 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 29 · 2020: 28 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 30 · 2017: 32 · 2016: 32 · 2015: 37 · 2014: 39 · 2013: 31 · 2012: 23
FWCI
13.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • Rutgers University Community Repository (Rutgers University) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH071093)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (R37DA006214, ZIADA000471)
  • National Center for Research Resources (UL1RR029882)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Memory and Neural Mechanisms
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
hippocampal CA3, ventral tegmental area, lateral septum, dopaminergic neurons, disinhibition, GABA receptors, cocaine seeking, reinstatement, goal-directed behavior, contextual cues, neural circuits
MeSH terms
Action Potentials, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Brain Mapping, Cocaine, Dopamine, Electric Stimulation, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Hippocampus, Male, Models, Neurological, Neural Inhibition, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Reward, Self Administration, Septal Nuclei, Theta Rhythm, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, Ventral Tegmental Area, GABA Agonists, GABA Antagonists, Rats, CA3 Region, Hippocampal, Drug-Seeking Behavior

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