Deciphering the Role of the Nucleus Accumbens Shell Area on Spatial Memory Deficits Induced by Neuropathic Pain in Rats

Abstract

The nucleus accumbens shell (NAcSh) is a major structure associated with distinct aspects of reward and mnemonic information encoding, relying on spatial data to define optimal behavioral strategies. Chronic pain-derived striatal plasticity is considered one underpinning cause of working memory (WM) impairments. However, it is unclear how the NAcSh is involved in these spatial deficits. To address this, we evaluated the impact of unilateral local NAcSh electrical lesions during the execution of a food-reinforced eight-shaped spatial alternation WM task. Behavioral performance was assessed in rats after the onset of the neuropathic pain model—spared nerve injury (SNI). Our findings indicate that the induction of SNI and/or NAcSh lesions did not significantly impact the animals’ performance accuracy or motor activity during the execution of the behavioral task, but altered their response latency patterns. In addition, these manipulations did not induce significant antinociceptive effects. Collectively, these results suggest that the NAcSh may participate in specific aspects of spatial information integration and processing under neuropathic pain conditions.