Dysfunction of ventral tegmental area GABA neurons causes mania-like behavior.

ABSTRACT: The ventral tegmental area (VTA), an important source of dopamine, regulates goal- and reward-directed and social behaviors, wakefulness, and sleep. Hyperactivation of dopamine neurons generates behavioral pathologies. But any roles of non-dopamine VTA neurons in psychiatric illness have been little explored. Lesioning or chemogenetically inhibiting VTA GABAergic (VTA^Vgat) neurons generated persistent wakefulness with mania-like qualities: locomotor activity was increased; sensitivity to D-amphetamine was heightened; immobility times decreased on the tail suspension and forced swim tests; and sucrose preference increased. Furthermore, after sleep deprivation, mice with lesioned VTA^Vgat neurons did not catch up on lost sleep, even though they were starting from a sleep

SUBMITTER: Yu X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8589652 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature