Regulation of Sleep-Wake Behaviors by Dopaminergic Circuitry

Motivated behaviors, such as food and mate seeking or danger evasion, are critically dependent upon arousal, and the capacity to organize periods of sleep and wakefulness in response to specific environmental circumstances is essential for survival. However, the neuronal mechanisms linking motivational processes with sleep-wake regulation remain poorly understood.
Dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are central regulators of motivational processes, but their role in generating and maintaining wakefulness has been controversial for many decades. I will present my work on the role of VTA dopaminergic circuitry in controlling sleep-wake behaviors. I will demonstrate how this circuitry regulates spontaneous sleep-wake states, as well as arousal in the face of ethologically relevant salient stimuli. I will also present findings revealing a neuronal substrate for the regulation of a sleep-preparatory behavior – nest-building. Finally, I will discuss the broad implications of these findings in the context of sleep-wake disturbances in neuropsychiatric disorders.