Behavioral and synaptic effect of ventral pallidum deep brain stimulation

Objectives

Characterizing the effect of Ventral Pallidum Deep Brain Stimulation in a rodent model of reward processing disorders and dissecting its effect on brain circuits adaptation using patch clamp coupled with optogenetic.

Abstract

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) has shown promise in treating neuropsychiatric disorders involving dysregulated reward processing, the optimal neural target for therapeutic intervention remains unclear. The ventral pallidum (VP), a central hub in the brain's reward circuitry, has emerged as a promising candidate. Recent findings from our laboratory demonstrated that VP-DBS can modulate motivation in healthy rats without inducing adverse effects. This internship project aims to explore the therapeutic potential of VP-DBS in a preclinical model of alcohol use disorder, a condition strongly linked to dysfunctional reward signaling. Furthermore, the study will investigate the synaptic adaptations induced by VP-DBS using optogenetics combined with patch-clamp electrophysiology. Special focus will be placed on mapping changes in connectivity between the VP and key structures such as the nucleus accumbens or the subthalamic nucleus. This research seeks to advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying DBS and its potential for treating addiction-related disorders.

Methods

-Behavioral characterization in rodents
-Experimental Deep brain Stimulation
-Ex vivo patch clamp electrophysiology with optogenetic

References

1) Vachez YM et al., (2021) Ventral arkypallidal neurons modulate firing to promote reward consumption. Nature Neuroscience. Mar;24(3):379-390

2) Vachez et al., Unilateral and bilateral Subthalamic stimulation differently promote apathy: a translational approach. (2025) European Journal of Neuroscience. Feb;61:e70019

3) Fang LZ and Vachez YM. (2024) Targeting the ventral pallidum in obesity. Addiction Neuroscience (13):100179

Requested domains of expertise

Circuits Neurosciences, Behavior, electrophysiology, Neuromodulation, Data processing

Contact

Yvan M. Vachez, Inserm Researcher
Mail : yvan.vachezinserm.fr
Phone : +33 (0)4 56 52 05 42