A Single Administration of GBR 12909 Alters Basal Mesocorticolimbic Activity

Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized by mood swings that have been associated with a cyclic dopaminergic dysregulation, with hyperdopaminergic states being related to manic symptoms. To date, however, little is known about how such imbalance alters the functioning of brain regions within the dopaminergic mesocorticolimbic (MCL) circuit. In this study, we characterize the changes in oscillatory power in MCL regions associated with a hyperdopaminergic state induced by a single administration of GBR 12909, a highly selective dopamine transporter inhibitor. To do that, we recorded local field potentials across the prelimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens, ventral hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and ventral tegmental area of mice following the administration of GBR12909 or saline. We found that GBR 12909 administration induced significant changes in the power spectrum density in prelimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens and ventral hippocampus, indicating that elevated levels of dopamine alter the activity of key regions of the MCL circuit. Future studies are necessary to establish the relationship between these alterations and the mania-like behaviors observed in hyperdopaminergic states.