Nucleus accumbens local circuit for cue-dependent aversive learning.

Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient, which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area.

Nucleus Accumbens Local Circuit for Cue-Dependent Aversive Learning.

Response to threatening environmental stimuli requires detection and encoding of important environmental features that dictate threat. Aversive events are highly salient which promotes associative learning about stimuli that signal this threat. The nucleus accumbens is uniquely positioned to process this salient, aversive information and promote motivated output, through plasticity on the major projection neurons in the brain area.