Identifying a neurochemical signature of the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus that predicts individual variability in cue-reward learning

Baseline glucose in the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus is higher in rats later classified as sign trackers, and it correlates with the Pavlovian conditioned approach index.

• Why it matters: Individual differences in cue-motivated learning are linked to vulnerability for psychiatric disorders, but the neurochemical predictors that precede these phenotypes are unclear.
• What they did: Rats underwent Pavlovian conditioned approach training, then in vivo microdialysis plus liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry quantified 22 small molecules in the PVT before and 24 hours after training.
• The result: Baseline PVT neurochemical profiles, including glucose, are associated with subsequent Pavlovian conditioned approach behavior, and glucose decreases after training with phenotype-specific magnitude.

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