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A neural pathway controlling motivation to exert effort.

ABSTRACT: The neural mechanisms conferring reduced motivation, as observed in depressed individuals, is poorly understood. Here, we examine in rodents if reduced motivation to exert effort is controlled by transmission from the lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus overactive in depressed-like states, to the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a nucleus that inhibits dopaminergic neurons. In an aversive test wherein immobility indicates loss of effort, LHb?RMTg transmission increased during transitions into immobility, driving LHb?RMTg increased immobility, and inhibiting LHb?RMTg produced the opposite effects. In an appetitive test, driving LHb?RMTg reduced the effort exerted to receive a reward, without affecting the reward's hedonic property. Notably, LHb?RMTg stimulation only affected specific aspects of these motor tasks, did not affect all motor tasks, and promoted avoidance, indicating that LHb?RMTg activity does not generally reduce movement but appears to carry a negative valence that reduces effort. These results indicate that LHb?RMTg activity controls the motivation to exert effort and may contribute to the reduced motivation in depression.

SUBMITTER: Proulx CD

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5984527 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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A neural pathway controlling motivation to exert effort.

Proulx Christophe D CD Aronson Sage S Milivojevic Djordje D Molina Cris C Loi Alan A Monk Bradley B Shabel Steven J SJ Malinow Roberto R

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20180511 22

The neural mechanisms conferring reduced motivation, as observed in depressed individuals, is poorly understood. Here, we examine in rodents if reduced motivation to exert effort is controlled by transmission from the lateral habenula (LHb), a nucleus overactive in depressed-like states, to the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg), a nucleus that inhibits dopaminergic neurons. In an aversive test wherein immobility indicates loss of effort, LHb→RMTg transmission increased during transitions int ...[more]

PMID: 29752382

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Project description:IntroductionDifferent techniques have been used to identify the brain regions that control sexual motivation and sexual behavior. However, the influence of sexual experience on the activation of these brain regions in the same subject is unknown. Using manganese-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MEMRI), we analyzed the activation of brain regions in the sexual incentive motivation (SIM) and the partner preference PP (tests) on weeks 1, 5, and 10 in male rats tested for 10 weeks. AIM. In experiment 1, we analyzed the possible toxic effects of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 on male sexual behavior, running wheel, and motor execution. In experiment 2, subjects were tested for SIM and PP using MEMRI.MethodsIn both experiments, a dose of 16 mg/kg (s.c) of chloride manganese (MnCl2) was administered 24 h before subjects were tested and placed immediately thereafter in a 7-Tesla Bruker scanner.ResultsIn experiment 1, the dose of 16 mg/kg of MnCl2 did not induce behavioral alterations that could interfere with interpreting the imaging data. In experiment 2, we found a clear preference for the female in both the SIM and PP tests. We found a higher signal intensity in the olfactory bulb (OB) in week 1 of the SIM test compared to the control group. We also found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual behavior and mesolimbic reward circuits in the SIM test in week 1. In the PP test, we found a higher signal intensity in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) in week 10 compared to the control group. In the same test, we found increased signal intensity in the socio-sexual and mesolimbic reward circuits in week 5 compared to the control group. Cohen's d analysis of the whole brain revealed that as the subjects gained sexual experience we observed a higher brain activation in the OB in the SIM group. The PP group showed higher brain activation in the cortex and subcortical structures as they acquired sexual experience.DiscussionAs the subjects gain sexual experience, more structures of the reward and socio-sexual circuits are recruited, resulting in different, and large brain activations.

Project description:In order to minimize climate change it is important that people take up a sustainable lifestyle. Sustainable lifestyles call for pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in several domains, such as in-home energy use, mobility, and consumption of food and goods. However, studies show that people often do not consistently behave pro-environmentally in all domains. In this study we investigated how a combination of personal motivation, and the difficulty and the perceived effort of a PEB, predicts the performance of PEBs in various domains, using a survey (n = 1,536). By means of Rasch analysis we identified the difficulty of 17 PEBs and estimated respondents' pro-environmental motivations. In addition, we investigated if performance of certain PEBs increased the probability of performing other PEBs. This way we could identify for each level of motivation which behaviors respondents were (probably) performing and which behaviors they did not yet perform, but would be least effortful new behaviors. Furthermore, using a non-recursive structural equation model we investigated the relations between perceived effort, PEB performance, motivation, underlying traits, and demographics. Results showed a feedback loop between motivation and perceived effort: when respondents were motivated they perceived behaviors as less effortful and also lower perception of effort was related to higher motivation. Our results imply that people mainly perform PEBs that fit their level of pro-environmental motivation and that they are inclined to do the things of which they can justify the effort they need to invest. This amount of effort seems quite similar for people: no one wants to invest too much effort, but people highly differ in how effortful they assess different behaviors. Our study thus indicates that rationalizations play a key role. Encouraging people to embrace more sustainable lifestyles may involve step-by-step increases in PEB performance. We propose that people should be encouraged to perform behaviors that are closest to their current motivation level in order for them to progress from performing easy to more difficult PEBs.

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A neural pathway controlling motivation to exert effort.

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A neural pathway controlling motivation to exert effort.

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