VTA glutamatergic inputs to nucleus accumbens drive aversion by acting on GABAergic interneurons

The authors show that glutamatergic neurons, which are intermixed with dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area, establish multiple excitatory synapses on parvalbumin GABAergic interneurons in the nucleus accumbens. Activation of this glutamatergic mesoaccumbens pathway induces the release of GABA onto medium spiny neurons and drives aversion.