Nature Neuroscience7, 581 - 582 (2004)
Published online: 16 May 2004; | doi:10.1038/nn1243
Frequency-dependent modulation of dopamine release by nicotine
Hui Zhang1
& David Sulzer1, 2
1
Department of Neurology, Columbia University, 650 W 168th Street, New York, New York 10032, USA.
2
Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and Department of Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York 10032, USA.
Correspondence should be addressed to David Sulzer ds43@columbia.edu
Although nicotine activation of dopamine release is implicated in addiction, it also desensitizes nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs), leading to a prolonged depression of evoked dopamine release. Here we show that nicotine's effects depend on the firing pattern of dopamine neurons, so that while desensitization of nAChRs indeed curbs dopamine released by stimuli emulating tonic firing, it allows a rapid rise in dopamine from stimuli emulating phasic firing patterns associated with incentive/salience paradigms. Nicotine may thus enhance the contrast of dopamine signals associated with behavioral cues.
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