DRD1 and DRD2 dopamine-sensitive neurons in the central amygdala respond differently to rewarding and aversive stimuli.

The ability to differentiate between rewarding and aversive stimuli is crucial for survival, yet the underlying neural mechanisms allowing animals to make such a distinction remain elusive. Here, using in vivo two-photon calcium imaging, we uncovered how the activity of dopamine-sensitive neurons in the medial nucleus of the central amygdala (CeM) is associated with appetitive and aversive experiences. We found that cocaine and sucrose strongly activated DRD1(+) neurons while suppressing DRD2(+) activity, whereas the aversive quinine stimulus predominantly engaged DRD2(+) neurons, particularly those not previously recruited by sucrose. Our findings suggest that DRD1(+) and DRD2(+) neurons differentially contribute to the processing of appetitive and aversive stimuli. Furthermore, by simultaneously monitoring facial expressions, we identified stimulus-specific behavioral responses to sucrose, quinine, and cocaine.