Blocking signals from thinking areas to the reward system stops temporary brain changes and cocaine-seeking triggered by cues

Inhibiting the connection from the prelimbic cortex to the nucleus accumbens blocked reinstated cocaine-seeking behavior.

• Cue-induced cocaine seeking is linked to changes in synaptic strength in the nucleus accumbens.
• Optical silencing of glutamatergic inputs from the prelimbic cortex to the nucleus accumbens prevents reinstatement of drug-seeking behavior.
• This inhibition is associated with reduced dendritic spine head diameter and altered AMPA/NMDA receptor ratios.
• Following extinction training, spine density increased, but no further changes were observed during cue-induced reinstatement.
• The findings suggest that the prelimbic cortex plays a critical role in regulating both drug-seeking behavior and synaptic changes in the nucleus accumbens.

Simplified