Investigating the Reinforcing Effects of Optogenetic Stimulation of Lateral Hypothalamus Projections to the Laterodorsal Tegmental Nucleus and Pedunculopontine Tegmental Nucleus in Mice

Previous studies have shown that in both mice and rats, glutamatergic inputs from the Laterodorsal Tegmental Nucleus (LDTg) to the Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) result in rewarding effects. Little is known about the role of afferent inputs to the LDTg in reward function. The Lateral Hypothalamus (LH) is a critical part of the brain’s reward circuitry and projects to the LDTg. We plan to test whether optogenetic excitation of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) glutamatergic input to the LDTg is reinforcing in mice.