Inhibitions of nucleus accumbens neurons encode a gating signal for reward-directed behavior

The nucleus accumbens (NAcc) is critical in the control of goal-directed behavior. Pharmacological studies suggest that the NAcc may act in both instructive and permissive modes; however, previous electrophysiological studies in behaving rats have reported firing patterns consistent with an instructive, but not permissive, role for NAcc neurons. We now report that a subset of NAcc neurons shows a long-lasting inhibition in firing rate whose onset precedes initiation of goal-directed sequences of behavior and terminates at the conclusion of the sequence. Together with data from previous behavioral studies, this firing pattern suggests that, when active, these neurons tonically inhibit appetitive and consummatory behaviors and that, when inhibited, these neurons permissively gate those behaviors.