Lithium ameliorates nucleus accumbens phase-signaling dysfunction in a genetic mouse model of mania.

Polymorphisms in circadian genes such as CLOCK convey risk for bipolar disorder. While studies have begun to elucidate the molecular mechanism whereby disruption of Clock alters cellular function within mesolimbic brain regions, little remains known about how these changes alter gross neural circuit function and generate mania-like behaviors in Clock-Δ19 mice. Here we show that the phasic entrainment of nucleus accumbens (NAC) low-gamma (30-55 Hz) oscillations to delta (1-4 Hz) oscillations is negatively correlated with the extent to which wild-type (WT) mice explore a novel environment.