Abstract
The nucleus accumbens may be involved in cognitive functions via its control of thalamocortical activity feeding back to the prefrontal cortex. Functional neuronal ensembles, or changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of active and inactive neurons, may mediate information processing in the accumbens. Neurons are considered active during the plateau depolarizations, or up state, that most nucleus accumbens neurons exhibit. Action potential firing can occur only during these events in these neurons. Inputs controlling the distribution and timing of up events (i.e., limbic afferents and dopamine) may determine the spatiotemporal pattern of accumbens neuronal ensembles and, therefore, of thalamoprefrontal cortical activity.
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This work was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant MH57683.
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O’Donnell, P. Ensemble coding in the nucleus accumbens. Psychobiology 27, 187–197 (1999). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332113
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03332113