Mapping Heterogeneous Dopamine Signaling in Sub-Regions of the Olfactory Tubercle and its Effect on Psychostimulant-Induced Behaviors

Park
The study will help define the role of the olfactory tubercle (OT) in mediating substance use disorder-related neurochemical and behavioral phenomena and will provide more effective therapeutic targets.

Substance use disorder (SUD) is a serious health concern with no effective pharmacotherapies due, in part, to a limited understanding of the brain circuits underlying this disease. The poorly understood olfactory tubercle (OT)-dopamine (DA) circuit is implicated in SUD, therefore, the goal of this study is to determine 1) the regulatory mechanisms of DA transmission in the subregions of the OT and 2) the role of the OT-DA system in SUD related rewarding effects and behavioral changes. These results will fill a gap in knowledge of a poorly understood brain reward area that is part of reward circuits implicated in drugs of abuse, and may point to novel therapeutic targets for SUD.

Principal Investigator
Jinwoo Park, PhD
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Funding Agency
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Grant Number
R21-DA045284

Dates
2018-2020