Cited by 403Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorMemory and Neural MechanismsNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Positive and negative motivation in nucleus accumbens shell: bivalent rostrocaudal gradients for GABA-elicited eating, taste “liking”/“disliking” reactions, place preference/avoidance, and fear

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Reynolds, Sheila M., Berridge, Kent C.·2002·The Journal of Neuroscience

Abstract

Microinjection of the GABA(A) agonist muscimol in the rostral medial accumbens shell in rats elicits appetitive eating behavior, but in the caudal shell instead elicits fearful defensive treading behavior. To further test the hypothesis that rostral shell muscimol microinjections produce positive motivational states, whereas caudal shell muscimol produces negative states, we measured behavioral place preference/avoidance conditioning and affective hedonic and aversive orofacial expressions of taste-elicited "liking" and "disliking" (gapes, etc.) in addition to fear and feeding behaviors. Farthest rostral muscimol microinjections (75 ng) caused increased eating behavior and also caused positive conditioned place preferences and increased positive hedonic reactions to the taste of sucrose. By contrast, caudal shell microinjections elicited negative defensive treading and caused robust negative conditioned place avoidance and negative aversive reactions to sucrose or quinine tastes. Intermediate rostral microinjections elicited effects of mixed positive/negative valence (positive appetitive eating behavior but negative place avoidance and negative taste reactions at mid-rostral sites, and sometimes positive eating simultaneously with fearful defensive treading more caudally). These results indicate that GABAergic neurotransmission in local microcircuits in nucleus accumbens mediates motivated/affective behavior that is bivalently organized along rostrocaudal gradients.

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Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.22-16-07308.2002

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  • Even rats do many things within a single emotion category: in the face of threat, they can freeze, flee, or engage in defensive treading.

    “Even rats do many things within a single emotion category: in the face of a threat, rats can freeze (e.g., LeDoux et al. 1990), flee (Vazdarjanova & McGaugh 1998), or engage in “defensive treading,” in which they kick bedding in the direction of a known threat (Reynolds & Berridge 2002; 2003; 2008).”

    From The brain basis of emotion: a meta-analytic review (2012) · cites this paper as Reynolds & Berridge 2002

    The “GABAergic defensive treading, affect, and fear” section describes rats kicking sand toward targets and building protective mounds, and compares this with natural responses to threats. But it says the treading observed in this study was directed at parts of the chamber in the absence of actual threats, so it does not establish the claim’s specific description of bedding kicked toward a known threat. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Intermediate shell GABAergic activation produces combined positive and negative motivational effects.

    “Intermediate shell GABAergic activation produces combined positive and negative motivational effects (Reynolds and Berridge, 2002).”

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Authors
Reynolds, S. M., & Berridge, K. C.
Affiliations
University of Michigan (US)
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Published
2002-08-15
Volume
22
Issue
16
Pages
7308-7320
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
OpenAlex
W2132465696
Cited by
403
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 50 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 25
FWCI
3.85
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (9604408)
  • National Institutes of Health (DC00011)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (F31DA014679)
  • National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (DC-00011, T32DC00011, T32DC000011)
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
nucleus accumbens shell, rostrocaudal gradient, GABAergic neurotransmission, muscimol microinjection, positive motivation, negative motivation, conditioned place preference, conditioned place avoidance, taste liking, fear, sucrose, quinine, emotional behavior
MeSH terms
Animals, Behavior, Animal, Conditioning, Psychological, Eating, Fear, Feeding Behavior, Female, gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, Male, Microinjections, Motivation, Muscimol, Nucleus Accumbens, Spatial Behavior, Taste, Rats, Sprague-Dawley, GABA Agonists, Rats

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