Thalamostriatal endocannabinoid signaling boosts reward pursuit through retrograde gain control
Researchers show that endocannabinoids are released in the nucleus accumbens during reward and act retrogradely to dampen aPVT terminals via CB1 receptors, implementing a gain-control mechanism that enhances engagement in reward-seeking. Blocking CB1 signaling or deleting CB1 receptors from aPVT inputs disrupts this process, revealing a thalamostriatal circuit that tunes motivation and reward behavior.
