Presenters: Gavin Jones ; Pacen Williams ; James Bates ; Paul Flora ; Austin Miner ; Seth Birrell ; D. Brenes
Authors: Gavin Jones, Christina Small, Dallin Otteson, Pacen Williams, James Bates, Paul Flora, Austin Miner, Seth Birrell, D Brenes, Cooper Lytle
Faculty Advisor: Scott Steffensen
Institution: Brigham Young University
Activation of specific mechanoreceptors (MStim) has been previously shown to modulate the firing rate of neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and dopamine (DA) release in the nucleus accumbens (NAc), an area of interest in alcohol-use disorder (Bills et al., 2019; Ludlow et al., 2009; Ranaldi 2014). In this study, we examined the effects of MStim on VTA GABA neuron firing rate, DA release in the NAc, and behavior during withdrawal from chronic EtOH exposure. We demonstrate that concurrent administration of MStim and EtOH significantly reduced adaptations in VTA GABA neurons and DA release in response to a reinstatement dose of EtOH (2.5 g/kg). Behavioral indices of EtOH withdrawal (rearing, open-field crosses, tail stiffness, gait, and anxiety) were substantively ameliorated with concurrent application of MStim. Additionally, MStim significantly increased the overall frequency of ultrasonic vocalizations, suggesting an increased positive affective state.