Glutamate inputs from the laterodorsal tegmental nucleus to the ventral tegmental area are essential for the induction of cocaine sensitization in male mice.

Rationale: Drug-induced potentiation of ventral tegmental area (VTA) glutamate signaling contributes critically to the induction of sensitization - an enhancement in responding to a drug following exposure which is thought to reflect neural changes underlying drug addiction. The laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDTg) provides one of several sources of glutamate input to the VTA.

Objective: We used optogenetic techniques to test either the role of LDTg glutamate cells or their VTA afferents in the development of cocaine sensitization in male VGluT2::Cre mice.