The neurotransmitter glutamate plays a key role in causing neurons to fire action potentials. These impulses are required for neurons in different areas of the brain to communicate. DNQX is a peptide that inhibits neurons from firing. Injecting DNQX into the nucleus accumbens, the part of our brain that mediates reward, can produce either motivating (such as increased eating and food intake) or fearful/avoidance behaviors (such as digging to escape predators) in rats. The type of behavior caused by the injection of DNQX depends on…
Published via BrainPost.
