a. Activation of DA containing NAcSh projecting VTA neurons prevents CFA induced decrease in number of correct lever presses in sucrose PR. Animals injected with control virus and CNO alone showed decrease in the number of correct lever presses after the CFA injection (two-way ANOVA for repeated measures, time: F1, 27 = 8.016, p=0.0087; interaction (time × treatment): F3, 27 = 4.966, p=0.0071; Sidak’s post hoc between groups during PR2: hM3Dq + CFA + VEH (n=7) versus hM3Dq + SAL+ CNO (n=8) , $$$ p=0.0005; m-Cherry + CFA + CNO (n=8) versus hM3Dq + SAL+ CNO, $$$$ p<0.0001, m-Cherry + CFA + CNO versus hM3Dq + CFA+ CNO(n=8), # p=0.0190). b. Schematic representation of cannula placement in the NAcSh for local delivery of aCSF or CNO. c. Spread of overlay of individual animal viral expression across VTA in DREADD and control m-Cherry injected TH-cre animals. The data are presented as the mean ± s.e.m.