Neuroanatomical localization of an internal clock: a functional link between mesolimbic, nigrostriatal, and mesocortical dopaminergic systems

Brain Res. 2006 Sep 13;1109(1):93-107. doi: 10.1016/j.brainres.2006.06.031. Epub 2006 Aug 4.

Abstract

The effects of selective dopamine (DA) depleting lesions with 6-hydroxydopamine microinjection into the SN, CPu, and NAS, as well as radiofrequency lesions of the CPu on the performance characteristics of rats trained on a single-valued 20-s peak-interval (PI) timing procedure or a double-valued 10-s and 60-s PI procedure were evaluated. A double dissociation in the performance of duration discriminations was found. Rats with CPu lesions were unable to exhibit temporal control of their behavior suggesting complete insensitivity to signal duration but were able to show discrimination of the relative reward value of a signal by differentially modifying their response rates appropriately. In contrast, rats with NAS lesions were able to exhibit temporal control of their behavior by differentially modifying their response rates as a function of signal duration(s), suggesting no impairment of sensitivity to signal duration, but were unable to show discrimination of the relative reward value of a signal.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Behavior, Animal
  • Brain Chemistry / physiology
  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
  • Conditioning, Operant / physiology
  • Corpus Striatum / anatomy & histology*
  • Corpus Striatum / injuries
  • Dopamine / metabolism*
  • Electrochemistry / methods
  • Limbic System / anatomy & histology*
  • Limbic System / injuries
  • Male
  • Oxidopamine / toxicity
  • Prefrontal Cortex / anatomy & histology*
  • Prefrontal Cortex / injuries
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Time Perception / physiology*

Substances

  • 3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid
  • Oxidopamine
  • Dopamine