Dopamine`s role in shaping synchrony between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex

The interaction between brain networks plays a fundamental role in cognitive processes. Oscillatory synchronization has been proposed as a mechanism for coordinating neuronal activity across distant regions. One crucial aspect of comprehending brain function and its emergent properties is to investigate how functional connectivity is modulated at different time scales in response to environmental and physiological demands. Modulatory neurotransmitters, such as dopamine, have been implicated in altering membrane excitability and modulating oscillatory activity within critical circuits for cognition, such as the hippocampal-prefrontal cortex (HPC-PFC) pathway. However, the specific influence of dopaminergic activity on HPC-PFC oscillatory synchronization, particularly regarding phase synchrony and the contributions of different classes of dopaminergic receptors, still needs to be better understood.