Glutamate release by basolateral amygdala affect GABA receptors in the NAc Shell

The nucleus Accumbens (NAc) is composed of two major regions which are the shell and core. The NAc shell is composed of Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) medium spiny neurons (MSN), and can be further divided to D1 MSN and D2 MSN. These neurons play a role in cognitive and motor functions related to reward. The NAc shell receives a signal from the basolateral amygdala (BLA) for glutamate, an excitatory neurotransmitter, and this process is known to play a role of self-stimulation behavior. The aim of this research is to determine how dopamine released from the amygdala influences GABA release in the NAc shell.