The Role of Periaqueductal Gray Matter and Oxytocin in Associative Learning the effects of ethanol

Abstract

Anatomical studies highlight the relevance of the periaqueductal gray (PAG) in reward processing due to its connections with circuits mediating these behaviors. The lateral PAG (lPAG) is strategically positioned to influence reward-seeking behavior, while the ventrolateral PAG (vlPAG), with glutamatergic projections to the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA), is implicated in processing environmental cues and influencing alcohol-seeking and consumption behavior. Therefore, we hypothesize that the l/vlPAG plays a crucial role in the associative reward system related to ethanol effects, serving as a sine qua non center for associative memory, which requires further investigation to understand its role in this process.To address this, we will first characterize neuronal activation in the l/vlPAG during reward learning. As a second experiment, we will investigate the activation pattern in this region in conjunction with monitoring the animal's behavior. Additionally, as a third experiment, we will assess the selective inactivation of neurons involved in associative learning to understand how this modulation alters behavior related to reward-seeking.Oxytocin (OXT), a neuropeptide known to influence sexual and social behavior, mood, memory, and learning, may act as a modulator of reward-seeking responses. Exogenous administration of OXT could influence responses to rewarding stimuli, including drugs of abuse, suggesting its potential role in reinforcing associative reward learning in the PAG. For this investigation, we first propose to examine animal behavior in the described model with exogenous infusion of OXT directly into the vlPAG. We will also investigate its influence on the modulation of response patterns to a stimulus paired with a rewarding stimulus.