Researchers have identified how naturally occurring brain chemicals called endocannabinoids help regulate the drive to pursue rewards. The data could help clarify how brain systems involved in motivation become disrupted in many psychiatric, substance abuse and psychological disorders.
The findings, published Aug. 26 in the journal Nature, found that endocannabinoids act as feedback signals in a specific brain circuit involved in motivation and reward. In mouse experiments, activity in this circuit changed as the animals sought rewards, such as food.
“This study represents a first-of-its-kind glimpse into intact neuro-modulatory systems in freely behaving animals, and it gives us a better understanding of the neural underpinnings of reward-seeking,” said first author David Marcus. He was a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Dr. Michael Bruchas, professor of pharmacology, anesthesiology and bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine.