The ventral striatum, also called Nucleus Accumbens (NAc), has long been known to integrate information from cortical, thalamic, midbrain and limbic nuclei to mediate goal-directed behaviors. Until recently thalamic afferents have been overlooked when studying the functions and connectivity of the NAc. However, findings from recent studies have shed light on the importance and roles of precise Thalamus to NAc connections in motivated behaviors and in addiction. In this review, we summarize studies using techniques such as chemo- and optogenetics, electrophysiology and in vivo calcium imaging to elucidate the complex functioning of the thalamo-NAc afferents, with a particular highlight on the projections from the Paraventricular Thalamus to the NAc. We will focus on the recent advances in the understanding of the roles of these neuronal connections in motivated behaviors, with a special emphasis on their implications in addiction, from cue-reward association to the mechanisms driving relapse.

中文翻译：

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丘脑-伏隔核对动机行为和成瘾的预测

腹侧纹状体，也称为伏隔核 (NAc)，早就知道整合来自皮质、丘脑、中脑和边缘核的信息，以调节目标导向的行为。直到最近，在研究 NAc 的功能和连通性时，丘脑传入神经一直被忽视。然而，最近的研究结果揭示了精确丘脑与 NAc 连接在动机行为和成瘾中的重要性和作用。在这篇综述中，我们总结了使用化学和光遗传学、电生理学和体内钙成像等技术来阐明丘脑-NAc 传入神经的复杂功能的研究，特别强调从室旁丘脑到 NAc 的投影。