CRF acts in the midbrain to attenuate accumbens dopamine release to rewards but not their predictors

Stressors affect dopamine-dependent behaviors such as motivation, although the underlying neurobiological mechanism is not well defined. We report that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) acts in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to reduce the motivation to work for food rewards. CRF in the VTA regulates dopamine output in a stimulus- and pathway-specific manner, offering a mechanism by which acute stress selectively regulates information transmission via the VTA to reprioritize motivated behavior.