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Article
| Open Access
Serotonin neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus encode reward signals
How neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) respond to reward related behaviours is not known. Here, Li and colleagues report that DRN serotoninergic neurons are phasically activated by rewards such as sex, food and sucrose, and tonically activated during reward anticipation, while GABAergic neurons respond to punishment.
- Yi Li
- , Weixin Zhong
- & Minmin Luo
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Article
| Open Access
DARPP-32 interaction with adducin may mediate rapid environmental effects on striatal neurons
Changes in environment are known to alter reward system responses, although the underlying mechanisms are unclear. Here, Engmann et al.show that DARPP-32 interacts directly with β-adducin in the mouse striatum to regulate structural and behavioural plasticity in response to novel environment and drug exposure.
- Olivia Engmann
- , Albert Giralt
- & Jean-Antoine Girault
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Article
| Open Access
Insulin enhances striatal dopamine release by activating cholinergic interneurons and thereby signals reward
Insulin signals satiety after a meal; however, the rising incidence of obesity and chronic insulin elevation suggests that insulin may also signal reward. Here, Stouffer et al. show that insulin amplifies dopamine release in rodent striatum depending on diet, and that striatal insulin can influence food choice.
- Melissa A. Stouffer
- , Catherine A. Woods
- & Margaret E. Rice
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Article
| Open Access
Two spatiotemporally distinct value systems shape reward-based learning in the human brain
Learning to reinforce rewarding decisions and avoiding repeated mistakes is critical, yet the neural systems mediating feedback processing in value-guided choices remain elusive. Here the authors uncover the spatiotemporal dynamics of two separate but interacting value systems during learning.
- Elsa Fouragnan
- , Chris Retzler
- & Marios G. Philiastides
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Article
| Open Access
Contextual modulation of value signals in reward and punishment learning
In contrast to predictions from learning theory, humans learn to seek rewards and avoid punishments equally well. Here the authors offer an elegant solution to this problem by demonstrating that humans learn option values relative to a reference point subserved by a common neural substrate.
- Stefano Palminteri
- , Mehdi Khamassi
- & Giorgio Coricelli
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Article
| Open Access
Ventral hippocampal afferents to the nucleus accumbens regulate susceptibility to depression
Enhanced glutamatergic transmission in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of depression, yet the underlying source is not known. Here, the authors demonstrate a unique role for ventral hippocampal-NAc glutamatergic projections in regulating depression-like behaviour.
- Rosemary C. Bagot
- , Eric M. Parise
- & Eric J. Nestler
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Reward-timing-dependent bidirectional modulation of cortical microcircuits during optical single-neuron operant conditioning
The mammalian brain is able to rapidly adapt to environmental changes, but it is unclear how this occurs at the level of the single neuron. Hira et al.use two-photon calcium imaging of neurons in the mouse motor cortex after a lever-pull task to demonstrate rapid operant conditioning of single neurons.
- Riichiro Hira
- , Fuki Ohkubo
- & Masanori Matsuzaki
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A glutamatergic reward input from the dorsal raphe to ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons
Glutamatergic neurons project from the dorsal raphe to the ventral tegmental area, two brain areas strongly associated with addictive behaviour, however the functional significance of this connection remains unclear. Qi et al.show that optogenetic activation of this pathway conveys reward in mice.
- Jia Qi
- , Shiliang Zhang
- & Marisela Morales
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Conflict acts as an implicit cost in reinforcement learning
Conflict monitoring and value learning are often researched as separate processes within psychology, but they share many common neural mechanisms. Here Cavanagh et al.reveal that conflict acts as a cost during value learning, therefore suggesting a general link between conflict monitoring and value learning.
- James F. Cavanagh
- , Sean E. Masters
- & Michael J. Frank
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Orbitofrontal neurons infer the value and identity of predicted outcomes
Orbitofrontal cortex neuronal activity is thought to represent expected outcomes based on inferred states. Here, the authors show definitively that orbitofrontal cortex activity represents features of expected outcomes through inferred rather than experienced information, which is not dependent on the outcome value.
- Thomas A. Stalnaker
- , Nisha K. Cooch
- & Geoffrey Schoenbaum
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Enhanced flexibility of place discrimination learning by targeting striatal cholinergic interneurons
Striatal cholinergic interneurons are implicated in various behaviours and cognitive processes. Here, Okada et al. selectively ablate these interneurons in rats and show that cholinergic interneurons inhibit place reversal learning through M4, but not M1 muscarinic receptors.
- Kana Okada
- , Kayo Nishizawa
- & Kazuto Kobayashi
Loss of UBE3A from TH-expressing neurons suppresses GABA co-release and enhances VTA-NAc optical self-stimulation