Modeling nucleus accumbens: A Computational Model from Single Cell to Circuit Level


Elibol R., Şengör N. S.

Journal of Computational Neuroscience, vol.49, no.1, pp.21-35, 2021 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 49 Issue: 1
  • Publication Date: 2021
  • Doi Number: 10.1007/s10827-020-00769-y
  • Journal Name: Journal of Computational Neuroscience
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, Biotechnology Research Abstracts, CAB Abstracts, EMBASE, INSPEC, MEDLINE, zbMATH
  • Page Numbers: pp.21-35
  • Keywords: Nucleus accumbens, Medium spiny neuron, Local field potential, Computational model, BASAL GANGLIA, ACTION SELECTION, FUNCTIONAL CONSEQUENCES, STATE TRANSITIONS, FIRING PATTERNS, SPINY NEURONS, DOPAMINE, MODULATION, ANATOMY, NETWORK
  • Middle East Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

© 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.Nucleus accumbens is part of the neural structures required for reward based learning and cognitive processing of motivation. Understanding its cellular dynamics and its role in basal ganglia circuits is important not only in diagnosing behavioral disorders and psychiatric problems as addiction and depression but also for developing therapeutic treatments for them. Building a computational model would expand our comprehension of nucleus accumbens. In this work, we are focusing on establishing a model of nucleus accumbens which has not been considered as much as dorsal striatum in computational neuroscience. We will begin by modeling the behavior of single cells and then build a holistic model of nucleus accumbens considering the effect of synaptic currents. We will verify the validity of the model by showing the consistency of simulation results with the empirical data. Furthermore, the simulation results reveal the joint effect of cortical stimulation and dopaminergic modulation on the activity of medium spiny neurons. This effect differentiates with the type of dopamine receptors.