动物实验,前额叶皮层 z-bo 2020-09-05 404

　　One type of brain cells that use dopamine as a neurotransmitter is essential for the development of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, and the development of the latter needs to be completed throughout the adolescent stage. During adolescence, the synapses of these dopamine neurons continue to extend from the nucleus accumbens area to the cerebral cortex area.

　　Recently, researcher Cecilia Flore and colleagues discovered that the growth of such dopamine neurons can also lead to obstruction of the development of the orbital cerebral cortex, and the latter has a major effect on individuals completing complex behaviors, such as making decisions. However, the cause of this effect is still unclear. The authors and others found that when mice are exposed to amphetamines, the number of neuronal synapses in the prefrontal cortex of the orbital area of the brain will be significantly reduced, which may be caused by the obstruction of neuronal axon growth. Interestingly, the dosage of amphetamines is equivalent to the dosage that American teenagers usually take in recreational activities.

　　In addition, the researchers did not find the growth of dopamine neuron axons and the effect of amphetamine on other adjacent brain regions in the adjacent brain structures outside the orbital prefrontal cortex. These results indicate that the extension of dopamine neurons and their sensitivity to the environment (such as drugs, etc.) may only exist in the prefrontal cortex.