Untangling the multifaceted VTA responses to stress

Authors

Urszula Skupio, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Area Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Alexander Z. Harris, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA; Area Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: ah2835@cumc.columbia.edu.
Abigail M. Polter, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: ampolter@gwu.edu.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-16-2025

Journal

Trends in neurosciences

DOI

10.1016/j.tins.2025.06.004

Keywords

acute stress; chronic stress; dopamine; plasticity; reward circuitry

Abstract

Stress has profound impacts on the ventral tegmental area (VTA). However, the complex and opposing effects of stress on the VTA have limited our ability to reach a clear understanding of how adaptation of the VTA can drive behavior following stress. In this review we provide an overview of VTA responses to acute and chronic stress, with a primary focus on studies in mice and rats. We propose that divergent responses to stress arise from the heterogeneity of VTA neurons, the multidimensional nature of stress, and interactive effects between cumulative stressors. We suggest that the robust and varied plasticity of the VTA in response to stress indicates a role for the VTA as an integrator of homeostatic and affective information during stress to drive flexible and nuanced adjustments in behavioral adaptation.

APA Citation

Skupio, Urszula; Harris, Alexander Z.; and Polter, Abigail M., "Untangling the multifaceted VTA responses to stress" (2025). GW Authored Works. Paper 7579.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/7579

Department

Pharmacology and Physiology