Periodic Reporting for period 1 - FLEX5 (Establishing the dual role of serotonergic neurons of the dorsal raphe in flexible behaviors)
Berichtszeitraum: 2020-09-01 bis 2022-08-31
FLEX5 aimed to define the role of the serotoninergic neurons within its network in reinforcement and restraint. The project demonstrated the general role of serotonin in reinforcement, in agreement with studies showing serotonin implication in anhedonia (inability to feel pleasure) and aboulia (inability to seek pleasure) but a specific role of one of its receptors in the repetition of deceiving reinforcement, agreeing previous studies of serotonin implication in behaviour inhibition.
The results of FLEX5 were presented at four international conferences (European Brain and Behavioural Society forum 2021, Society For Neuroscience forum 2021, Basal Ganglia Gordon’s Conference 2022 and Federation of European Neuroscience Society 2022) and two further presentations are planned, after completion of the FLEX5 Project, at the Australasian neuroscience society forum 2022 and at the winter brain conference 2023. Furthermore, two scientific publications are in development and will be submitted to open access journals in 2023.
1. Demonstrated that dopaminergic neurons of the DRN respond differently to reinforcement and restraint stimuli.
2. Discovered that inhibition of serotonin receptors modifies the behavioural response of subjects to reinforcement stimuli.
3. Developed novel tools, based on viral vectors, to record the activity of serotoninergic terminals in the output structures of DRN.
These results have also paved the way for future research into the functional role of serotonin. In particular, the knowledge generated by FLEX5 will help to inform future studies into the treatment of depression, at the new laboratory of the FLEX5 researcher, Yann Pelloux, at the Université Paris Saclay.