One of the major issues in neuroscience is tying what we know about chemical messengers in the nervous system to actual behaviors. This project combines the expertise of investigators in the chemical and biological sciences to address the problem of the relationship of neurotransmitter release and behavior. The most studied neurotransmitter in the central nervous system is dopamine. Although the role that dopamine plays in behavior has been the subject of intensive investigation, its specific role in a number of behaviors is still not understood. Part of the reason for the slow progress has been the absence of methods which allow observation of dopamine release during behavior. Drs. Joseph Justice and Darryl Neill have developed new techniques which will be utilized to monitor neurotransmitter release in behaving animals. In particular the relationship of dopamine release and reward will be investigated, using intracranial self-stimulation, drug self-stimulation and food reward. Behavioral studies have indicated a role of dopamine in the reward of these three different stimuli. Direct observation of the neurochemical substrate thought to mediate these behaviors will significantly enhance our understanding of dopamine release and behavior.
