While DBS allows us to study the role of various brain regions in aberrant behavior, it remains unclear which cells are modulated by DBS or how (24). Ninety percent of the neurons in the NAc are medium spiny neurons (54). As previous studies have demonstrated abnormal expression of dopamine D2 receptors in human subjects who binge eat (55, 56), studying the role dopamine plays in perpetuating binge eating is important. Testing whether DBS modulates the expression of dopamine receptors on medium spiny neurons has potential implications on future pharmacologic approaches to obesity management. One way to target such receptors in a cell-specific manner is by incorporating optogenetic techniques (57). Combining biochemical and molecular assays with optogenetic neuromodulation using various transgenic mouse lines expressing Cre-recombinase or viral vectors with Cre-inducible opsins, for example, would provide substantial insight into the mechanism of action of DBS.