Salamone et al., 2005; Vassoler et al., 2008; Yadid and Friedman, 2008) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; Münte et al., 2008; Sturm et al., 2003; Wise and Rapoport, 1989). Ventral striatum is starting to be explored as a DBS target to treat psychiatric disorders (Aouizerate et al., 2009; Kuhn et al., 2007; Okun et al., 2007; Schlaepfer et al., 2008; Tass et al., 2003); recordings from human ventral striatum obtained in such settings have revealed reward-related oscillations (in the gamma range, Cohen et al., 2009). Both frontal cortical areas and the hippocampus exhibit prominent oscillatory activity that could impact ventral striatal processing (Bragin et al., 1995; Magill et al., 2005; Varela et al., 2001); however, it is not known if ventral striatum exhibits oscillatory structure that could support such afferent interactions. Thus, the study of LFPs in ventral striatum is a potentially valuable tool not just in elucidating the organization of its neural mechanisms and its relationship with functionally related structures, but also in the diagnosis and treatment of the wide range of reward- and motivation-related pathologies associated with ventral striatal dysfunction.
