The role of the habenula in drug addiction

Interest in the habenula has greatly increased in recent years. The habenula is a small brain structure located posterior to the thalamus and adjacent to the third ventricle. Despite its small size, the habenula can be divided into medial habenula (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb) nuclei that are ana...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Frontiers in human neuroscience 2014-03, Vol.8, p.174-174
Main Authors: Velasquez, Kenia M, Molfese, David L, Salas, Ramiro
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acetylcholine
Addictions
Alcohol
Anxiety
Basal ganglia
Brain research
Cocaine
Dopamine
Dopamine receptors
Drug abuse
Drug addiction
Drug Addition
Habenula
Limbic system
Luteinizing hormone
Mental disorders
Mesencephalon
Neostriatum
Neuroscience
Nicotine
nicotinic receptors
NMR
Norepinephrine
Nuclear magnetic resonance
Pain
Psychiatry
Reinforcement
Schizophrenia
Serotonin
Sleep
Thalamus
Tobacco
Transcription
Ventricle
Ventricles (cerebral)
γ-Aminobutyric acid
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Summary:Interest in the habenula has greatly increased in recent years. The habenula is a small brain structure located posterior to the thalamus and adjacent to the third ventricle. Despite its small size, the habenula can be divided into medial habenula (MHb) and lateral habenula (LHb) nuclei that are anatomically and transcriptionally distinct. The habenula receives inputs from the limbic system and basal ganglia primarily via the stria medullaris. The fasciculus retroflexus is the primary habenular output from the habenula to the midbrain and governs release of glutamate onto gabaergic cells in the rostromedial tegmental nucleus (RMTg) and onto the interpeduncular nucleus. The resulting GABA released from RMTg neurons inactivates dopaminergic cells in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra compacta. Through this process, the habenula controls dopamine levels in the striatum. Thus, the habenula plays a critical role in reward and reward-associated learning. The LHb also modulates serotonin levels and norepinephrine release, while the MHb modulates acetylcholine. The habenula is a critical crossroad that influences the brain's response to pain, stress, anxiety, sleep, and reward. Dysfunction of the habenula has been linked to depression, schizophrenia, and the effects of drugs of abuse. This review focuses on the possible relationships between the habenula and drug abuse.
ISSN:1662-5161
1662-5161
DOI:10.3389/fnhum.2014.00174