Monosynaptic ventral tegmental area glutamate projections to the locus coeruleus enhance aversive processing.

The article discusses a study that identifies a new monosynaptic glutamatergic input from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the locus coeruleus (LC) in the brain. The research shows that activation of these axons in the LC enhances aversive behavior and promotes behavioral avoidance. The findings suggest that this VTA-LC glutamatergic projection plays a role in modulating synaptic integration during salient stimuli. The study has not yet undergone peer review and more information can be found on biorxiv.org. [Extracted from the article]