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Abstract #0162

Optogenetic manipulation of VTA dopaminergic neurons and global patterns of functional neural connectivity

Heather K. Decot 1 , Yen-Yu Ian Shih 2,3 , Wei Gao 2,4 , Pranish Kantak 5 , Ian Jiang 6 , Karl Deisseroth 7 , Ilana B. Witten 8 , and Garret D. Stuber 1,9

1 Curriculum in Neurobiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 2 Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 3 Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 4 Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 5 Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 6 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States, 7 Bioengineering, Stanford University, CA, United States, 8 Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States, 9 Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, United States

Here, we coupled optogenetic stimulation techniques with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology in an in vivo rat model to selectively activate dopaminergic neurons within the ventral tegmental area (VTA). This study demonstrates that transient optogenetic activation of DA neurons within the midbrain causes significant regional CBV increases in downstream targets of the VTA including the dorsal and ventral striatum. Future directions include exploring how DA neuromodulation promotes or suppresses functional connectivity within the intact brain.

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