@article{d98fdf32d7a84c38aab2c70b59fd8457,
title = "The nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum exhibit greater dopaminergic innervation in humans compared to other primates",
abstract = "Recent evidence suggests that increased dopaminergic signaling within the dorsal striatum played a central role in the evolution of the human brain. This increase has been linked to human prosociality and language in what has been described as a dopamine-dominated striatum personality style. Increased striatal dopamine is associated with an increase in ventral striatal activity and promotes externally driven behaviors, including cooperation and social conformity. In contrast, decreased striatal dopamine is associated with increased dorsal striatal activity and favors internally driven and goal-oriented behaviors. Previous comparative studies have focused on the dorsal striatum, measuring dopaminergic innervation in the dorsal and medial caudate nucleus and putamen. Here, we add to this knowledge by examining regions of the ventral striatum. We quantified the density of tyrosine hydroxylase–immunoreactive axons, as a measure of dopaminergic innervation, in the nucleus accumbens and ventral pallidum of humans, great apes, platyrrhine and cercopithecid monkeys. Our data show that humans have a significantly greater dopaminergic innervation in both structures, supporting the hypothesis that selection for a prosocial neurochemistry in the human basal ganglia may have contributed to the evolution of our uniquely social behavior profile.",
keywords = "Human evolution, Nucleus accumbens, Tyrosine hydroxylase, Ventral pallidum",
author = "Hirter, {Kristen N.} and Miller, {Elaine N.} and Stimpson, {Cheryl D.} and Phillips, {Kimberley A.} and Hopkins, {William D.} and Hof, {Patrick R.} and Sherwood, {Chet C.} and Lovejoy, {C. Owen} and Raghanti, {Mary Ann}",
note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF BCS-1846201 to MAR and SMA-1542848 and EF-2021785 to CCS and WDH). Elaine Miller was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (1746914). Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF BCS-1846201 to MAR and SMA-1542848 and EF-2021785 to CCS and WDH). Elaine Miller was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (1746914). We would like to thank Dr. Richard S. Meindl for statistical advice. We are grateful to each of the following for the use of brain materials: The NIH NeuroBioBank, National Chimpanzee Brain Resource (NIH grant NS092988), NINDS Grants NS-402867 and NS0-73134, The Great Ape Aging Project (supported by NIH Grant AG014308), the National Primate Research Center at the University of Washington (NIH grant RR000166), the Oregon National Primate Research Center (NIH P51 OD011092), the Northwestern University Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease Center Brain Bank (supported by Alzheimer{\textquoteright}s Disease Core Center Grant AG013854, from the National Institute on Aging to Northwestern University, Chicago, IL). Funding Information: This research was funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF BCS-1846201 to MAR and SMA-1542848 and EF-2021785 to CCS and WDH). Elaine Miller was supported by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (1746914). We would like to thank Dr. Richard S. Meindl for statistical advice. We are grateful to each of the following for the use of brain materials: The NIH NeuroBioBank, National Chimpanzee Brain Resource (NIH grant NS092988), NINDS Grants NS-402867 and NS0-73134, The Great Ape Aging Project (supported by NIH Grant AG014308), the National Primate Research Center at the University of Washington (NIH grant RR000166), the Oregon National Primate Research Center (NIH P51 OD011092), the Northwestern University Alzheimer?s Disease Center Brain Bank (supported by Alzheimer?s Disease Core Center Grant AG013854, from the National Institute on Aging to Northwestern University, Chicago, IL). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.",
year = "2021",
month = jul,
doi = "10.1007/s00429-021-02300-0",
language = "English",
volume = "226",
pages = "1909--1923",
journal = "Brain Structure and Function",
issn = "1863-2653",
publisher = "Springer Verlag",
number = "6",
}