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Abstract
Importance The tools and insights of behavioral neuroscience grow apace, yet their clinical application is lagging. Observations This article suggests that associative learning theory may be the algorithmic bridge to connect a burgeoning understanding of the brain with the challenges to the mind with which all clinicians and researchers are concerned. Conclusions and Relevance Instead of giving up, talking past one another, or resting on the laurels of face validity, a consilient and collaborative approach is suggested: visiting laboratory meetings and clinical rounds and attempting to converse in the language of behavior and cognition to better understand and ultimately treat patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip R Corlett
- Clinical Neuroscience Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, Maryland
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52
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Tsutsui-Kimura I, Matsumoto H, Akiti K, Yamada MM, Uchida N, Watabe-Uchida M. Distinct temporal difference error signals in dopamine axons in three regions of the striatum in a decision-making task. eLife 2020; 9:e62390. [PMID: 33345774 PMCID: PMC7771962 DOI: 10.7554/elife.62390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Different regions of the striatum regulate different types of behavior. However, how dopamine signals differ across striatal regions and how dopamine regulates different behaviors remain unclear. Here, we compared dopamine axon activity in the ventral, dorsomedial, and dorsolateral striatum, while mice performed a perceptual and value-based decision task. Surprisingly, dopamine axon activity was similar across all three areas. At a glance, the activity multiplexed different variables such as stimulus-associated values, confidence, and reward feedback at different phases of the task. Our modeling demonstrates, however, that these modulations can be inclusively explained by moment-by-moment changes in the expected reward, that is the temporal difference error. A major difference between areas was the overall activity level of reward responses: reward responses in dorsolateral striatum were positively shifted, lacking inhibitory responses to negative prediction errors. The differences in dopamine signals put specific constraints on the properties of behaviors controlled by dopamine in these regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iku Tsutsui-Kimura
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Hideyuki Matsumoto
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Physiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of MedicineOsakaJapan
| | - Korleki Akiti
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Melissa M Yamada
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Naoshige Uchida
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Mitsuko Watabe-Uchida
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
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53
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Augustin SM, Loewinger GC, O'Neal TJ, Kravitz AV, Lovinger DM. Dopamine D2 receptor signaling on iMSNs is required for initiation and vigor of learned actions. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:2087-2097. [PMID: 32811899 PMCID: PMC7547091 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00799-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2020] [Accepted: 08/05/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Striatal dopamine D2 receptors (D2Rs) are important for motor output. Selective deletion of D2Rs from indirect pathway-projecting medium spiny neurons (iMSNs) impairs locomotor activities in a task-specific manner. However, the role of D2Rs in the initiation of motor actions in reward seeking and taking is not fully understood, and there is little information about how receptors contribute under different task demands and with different outcome types. The iMSN-D2Rs modulate neuronal activity and synaptic transmission, exerting control on circuit functions that may play distinct roles in action learning and performance. Selective deletion of D2Rs on iMSNs resulted in slower action initiation and response rate in an instrumental conditioning task, but only when performance demand was increased. The iMSN-Drd2KO mice were also slower to initiate swimming in a T-maze procedural learning task but were unimpaired in cognitive function and behavioral flexibility. In contrast, in a Pavlovian discrimination learning task, iMSN-Drd2KO mice exhibited normal acquisition and extinction of rewarded responding. The iMSN-Drd2KO mice showed performance deficits at all phases of rotarod skill learning. These findings reveal that dopamine modulation through iMSN-D2Rs influences the ability to self-initiate actions, as well as the willingness and/or vigor with which these responses are performed. However, these receptors seem to have little influence on simple associative learning or on stimulus-driven responding. The loss of normal D2R roles may contribute to disorders in which impaired dopamine signaling leads to hypokinesia or impaired initiation of specific voluntary actions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana M Augustin
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
| | - Gabriel C Loewinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Timothy J O'Neal
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience and Center for Neurobiology of Addiction, Pain, and Emotion, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, 98195, USA
| | - Alexxai V Kravitz
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
- Departments of Psychiatry, Anesthesiology, and Neuroscience, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - David M Lovinger
- Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
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54
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Ma L, Tian MX, Sun QY, Liu NN, Dong JF, Feng K, Wu YK, Wang YX, Wang GY, Chen W, Xi JJ, Kang JH. Fetal growth restriction mice are more likely to exhibit depression-like behaviors due to stress-induced loss of dopaminergic neurons in the VTA. FASEB J 2020; 34:13257-13271. [PMID: 32860269 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202000534r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2020] [Revised: 07/05/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is a severe perinatal complication that can increase risk for mental illness. To investigate the mechanism by which FGR mice develop mental illness in adulthood, we established the FGR mouse model and the FGR mice did not display obvious depression-like behaviors, but after environmental stress exposure, FGR mice were more likely to exhibit depression-like behaviors than control mice. Moreover, FGR mice had significantly fewer dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area but no difference in serotoninergic neurons in the dorsal raphe. RNA-seq analysis showed that the downregulated genes in the midbrain of FGR mice were associated with many mental diseases and were especially involved in the regulation of NMDA-selective glutamate receptor (NMDAR) activity. Furthermore, the NMDAR antagonist memantine can relieve the stress-induced depression-like behaviors of FGR mice. In summary, our findings provide a theoretical basis for future research and treatment of FGR-related depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Ma
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Meng-Xue Tian
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.,Institute of Translational Research, Tongji Hospital, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Qiao-Yi Sun
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Na-Na Liu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jian-Feng Dong
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ke Feng
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Kang Wu
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu-Xi Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Gui-Ying Wang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen Chen
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jia-Jie Xi
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jiu-Hong Kang
- Clinical and Translational Research Center of Shanghai First Maternity and Infant Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
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55
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Collins AL, Saunders BT. Heterogeneity in striatal dopamine circuits: Form and function in dynamic reward seeking. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:1046-1069. [PMID: 32056298 PMCID: PMC7183907 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The striatal dopamine system has long been studied in the context of reward learning, motivation, and movement. Given the prominent role dopamine plays in a variety of adaptive behavioral states, as well as diseases like addiction, it is essential to understand the full complexity of dopamine neurons and the striatal systems they target. A growing number of studies are uncovering details of the heterogeneity in dopamine neuron subpopulations. Here, we review that work to synthesize current understanding of dopamine system heterogeneity across three levels, anatomical organization, functions in behavior, and modes of action, wherein we focus on signaling profiles and local mechanisms for modulation of dopamine release. Together, these studies reveal new and emerging dimensions of the striatal dopamine system, informing its contribution to dynamic motivational and decision-making processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne L. Collins
- University of Minnesota, Department of Neuroscience, Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Benjamin T. Saunders
- University of Minnesota, Department of Neuroscience, Medical Discovery Team on Addiction, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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56
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Vandaele Y, Guillem K, Ahmed SH. Habitual Preference for the Nondrug Reward in a Drug Choice Setting. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:78. [PMID: 32523517 PMCID: PMC7261826 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
For adaptive and efficient decision making, it must be possible to select between habitual alternative courses of action. However, research in rodents suggests that, even in the context of simple decision-making, choice behavior remains goal-directed. In contrast, we recently found that during discrete trial choice between cocaine and water, water-restricted rats preferred water and this preference was habitual and inflexible (i.e., resistant to water devaluation by satiation). Here we sought to test the reproducibility and generality of this surprising finding by assessing habitual control of preference for saccharin over cocaine in non-restricted rats. Specifically, after the acquisition of preference for saccharin, saccharin was devalued and concurrent responding for both options was measured under extinction. As expected, rats responded more for saccharin than for cocaine during extinction, but this difference was unaffected by saccharin devaluation. Together with our previous research, this result indicates that preference for nondrug alternatives over cocaine is under habitual control, even under conditions that normally support goal-directed control of choice between nondrug options. The possible reasons for this difference are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youna Vandaele
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Karine Guillem
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
| | - Serge H. Ahmed
- Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France
- CNRS, Institut des Maladies Neurodégénératives, UMR 5293, Bordeaux, France
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57
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Acute Stress Enhances Associative Learning via Dopamine Signaling in the Ventral Lateral Striatum. J Neurosci 2020; 40:4391-4400. [PMID: 32321745 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3003-19.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Acute stress transiently increases vigilance, enhancing the detection of salient stimuli in one's environment. This increased perceptual sensitivity is thought to promote the association of rewarding outcomes with relevant cues. The mesolimbic dopamine system is critical for learning cue-reward associations. Dopamine levels in the ventral striatum are elevated following exposure to stress. Together, this suggests that the mesolimbic dopamine system could mediate the influence of acute stress on cue-reward learning. To address this possibility, we examined how a single stressful experience influenced learning in an appetitive pavlovian conditioning task. Male rats underwent an episode of restraint prior to the first conditioning session. This acute stress treatment augmented conditioned responding in subsequent sessions. Voltammetry recordings of mesolimbic dopamine levels demonstrated that acute stress selectively increased reward-evoked dopamine release in the ventral lateral striatum (VLS), but not in the ventral medial striatum. Antagonizing dopamine receptors in the VLS blocked the stress-induced enhancement of conditioned responding. Collectively, these findings illustrate that stress engages dopamine signaling in the VLS to facilitate appetitive learning.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Acute stress influences learning about aversive and rewarding outcomes. Dopamine neurons are sensitive to stress and critical for reward learning. However, it is unclear whether stress regulates reward learning via dopamine signaling. Using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry as rats underwent pavlovian conditioning, we demonstrate that a single stressful experience increases reward-evoked dopamine release in the ventral lateral striatum. This enhanced dopamine signal accompanies a long-lasting increase in conditioned behavioral responding. These findings highlight that the ventral lateral striatum is a node for mediating the effect of stress on reward processing.
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58
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Steinberg EE, Gore F, Heifets BD, Taylor MD, Norville ZC, Beier KT, Földy C, Lerner TN, Luo L, Deisseroth K, Malenka RC. Amygdala-Midbrain Connections Modulate Appetitive and Aversive Learning. Neuron 2020; 106:1026-1043.e9. [PMID: 32294466 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2020.03.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The central amygdala (CeA) orchestrates adaptive responses to emotional events. While CeA substrates for defensive behaviors have been studied extensively, CeA circuits for appetitive behaviors and their relationship to threat-responsive circuits remain poorly defined. Here, we demonstrate that the CeA sends robust inhibitory projections to the lateral substantia nigra (SNL) that contribute to appetitive and aversive learning in mice. CeA→SNL neural responses to appetitive and aversive stimuli were modulated by expectation and magnitude consistent with a population-level salience signal, which was required for Pavlovian conditioned reward-seeking and defensive behaviors. CeA→SNL terminal activation elicited reinforcement when linked to voluntary actions but failed to support Pavlovian associations that rely on incentive value signals. Consistent with a disinhibitory mechanism, CeA inputs preferentially target SNL GABA neurons, and CeA→SNL and SNL dopamine neurons respond similarly to salient stimuli. Collectively, our results suggest that amygdala-nigra interactions represent a previously unappreciated mechanism for influencing emotional behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth E Steinberg
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Felicity Gore
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Boris D Heifets
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Madison D Taylor
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Zane C Norville
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Kevin T Beier
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Csaba Földy
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Talia N Lerner
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Liqun Luo
- Department of Biology and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Karl Deisseroth
- Departments of Bioengineering and Psychiatry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Robert C Malenka
- Nancy Pritzker Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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59
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Groman SM. The Neurobiology of Impulsive Decision-Making and Reinforcement Learning in Nonhuman Animals. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2020; 47:23-52. [PMID: 32157666 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2020_127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Impulsive decisions are those that favor immediate over delayed rewards, involve the acceptance of undue risk or uncertainty, or fail to adapt to environmental changes. Pathological levels of impulsive decision-making have been observed in individuals with mental illness, but there may be substantial heterogeneity in the processes that drive impulsive choices. Understanding this behavioral heterogeneity may be critical for understanding associated diverseness in the neural mechanisms that give rise to impulsivity. The application of reinforcement learning algorithms in the deconstruction of impulsive decision-making phenotypes can help bridge the gap between biology and behavior and provide insights into the biobehavioral heterogeneity of impulsive choice. This chapter will review the literature on the neurobiological mechanisms of impulsive decision-making in nonhuman animals; specifically, the role of the amine neuromodulatory systems (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine) in impulsive decision-making and reinforcement learning processes is discussed. Ultimately, the integration of reinforcement learning algorithms with sophisticated behavioral and neuroscience techniques may be critical for advancing the understanding of the neurochemical basis of impulsive decision-making.
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60
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Maes EJP, Sharpe MJ, Usypchuk AA, Lozzi M, Chang CY, Gardner MPH, Schoenbaum G, Iordanova MD. Causal evidence supporting the proposal that dopamine transients function as temporal difference prediction errors. Nat Neurosci 2020; 23:176-178. [PMID: 31959935 PMCID: PMC7007380 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-019-0574-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 12/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Reward-evoked dopamine transients are well established as prediction errors. However, the central tenet of temporal difference accounts-that similar transients evoked by reward-predictive cues also function as errors-remains untested. In the present communication we addressed this by showing that optogenetically shunting dopamine activity at the start of a reward-predicting cue prevents second-order conditioning without affecting blocking. These results indicate that cue-evoked transients function as temporal-difference prediction errors rather than reward predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Etienne J P Maes
- Department of Psychology/Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Melissa J Sharpe
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Alexandra A Usypchuk
- Department of Psychology/Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Megan Lozzi
- Department of Psychology/Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Chun Yun Chang
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Matthew P H Gardner
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Drug Abuse, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
| | - Mihaela D Iordanova
- Department of Psychology/Centre for Studies in Behavioural Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
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61
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Sharpe MJ, Batchelor HM, Mueller LE, Yun Chang C, Maes EJP, Niv Y, Schoenbaum G. Dopamine transients do not act as model-free prediction errors during associative learning. Nat Commun 2020; 11:106. [PMID: 31913274 PMCID: PMC6949299 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-13953-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2019] [Accepted: 12/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine neurons are proposed to signal the reward prediction error in model-free reinforcement learning algorithms. This term represents the unpredicted or 'excess' value of the rewarding event, value that is then added to the intrinsic value of any antecedent cues, contexts or events. To support this proposal, proponents cite evidence that artificially-induced dopamine transients cause lasting changes in behavior. Yet these studies do not generally assess learning under conditions where an endogenous prediction error would occur. Here, to address this, we conducted three experiments where we optogenetically activated dopamine neurons while rats were learning associative relationships, both with and without reward. In each experiment, the antecedent cues failed to acquire value and instead entered into associations with the later events, whether valueless cues or valued rewards. These results show that in learning situations appropriate for the appearance of a prediction error, dopamine transients support associative, rather than model-free, learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Sharpe
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
- School of Psychology, UNSW, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA
| | - Hannah M Batchelor
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Lauren E Mueller
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Chun Yun Chang
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Etienne J P Maes
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA
| | - Yael Niv
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
- Psychology Department, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, 08544, USA
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- National Institute on Drug Abuse, Intramural Research Program, Baltimore, MD, 21224, USA.
- Departments of Anatomy & Neurobiology and Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.
- Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21287, USA.
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62
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Gahnstrom CJ, Spiers HJ. Striatal and hippocampal contributions to flexible navigation in rats and humans. Brain Neurosci Adv 2020; 4:2398212820979772. [PMID: 33426302 PMCID: PMC7755934 DOI: 10.1177/2398212820979772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus has been firmly established as playing a crucial role in flexible navigation. Recent evidence suggests that dorsal striatum may also play an important role in such goal-directed behaviour in both rodents and humans. Across recent studies, activity in the caudate nucleus has been linked to forward planning and adaptation to changes in the environment. In particular, several human neuroimaging studies have found the caudate nucleus tracks information traditionally associated with that by the hippocampus. In this brief review, we examine this evidence and argue the dorsal striatum encodes the transition structure of the environment during flexible, goal-directed behaviour. We highlight that future research should explore the following: (1) Investigate neural responses during spatial navigation via a biophysically plausible framework explained by reinforcement learning models and (2) Observe the interaction between cortical areas and both the dorsal striatum and hippocampus during flexible navigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoffer J. Gahnstrom
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Hugo J. Spiers
- Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Experimental Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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63
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Stalnaker TA, Howard JD, Takahashi YK, Gershman SJ, Kahnt T, Schoenbaum G. Dopamine neuron ensembles signal the content of sensory prediction errors. eLife 2019; 8:e49315. [PMID: 31674910 PMCID: PMC6839916 DOI: 10.7554/elife.49315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Dopamine neurons respond to errors in predicting value-neutral sensory information. These data, combined with causal evidence that dopamine transients support sensory-based associative learning, suggest that the dopamine system signals a multidimensional prediction error. Yet such complexity is not evident in the activity of individual neurons or population averages. How then do downstream areas know what to learn in response to these signals? One possibility is that information about content is contained in the pattern of firing across many dopamine neurons. Consistent with this, here we show that the pattern of firing across a small group of dopamine neurons recorded in rats signals the identity of a mis-predicted sensory event. Further, this same information is reflected in the BOLD response elicited by sensory prediction errors in human midbrain. These data provide evidence that ensembles of dopamine neurons provide highly specific teaching signals, opening new possibilities for how this system might contribute to learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Stalnaker
- Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - James D Howard
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Yuji K Takahashi
- Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
| | - Samuel J Gershman
- Department of Psychology and Center for Brain ScienceHarvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Thorsten Kahnt
- Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Feinberg School of MedicineNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
- Department of Psychology, Weinberg College of Arts and SciencesNorthwestern UniversityChicagoUnited States
| | - Geoffrey Schoenbaum
- Intramural Research ProgramNational Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of HealthBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyUniversity of Maryland School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
- Department of NeuroscienceJohns Hopkins School of MedicineBaltimoreUnited States
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Farassat N, Costa KM, Stojanovic S, Albert S, Kovacheva L, Shin J, Egger R, Somayaji M, Duvarci S, Schneider G, Roeper J. In vivo functional diversity of midbrain dopamine neurons within identified axonal projections. eLife 2019; 8:48408. [PMID: 31580257 PMCID: PMC6791716 DOI: 10.7554/elife.48408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Accepted: 10/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional diversity of midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons ranges across multiple scales, from differences in intrinsic properties and connectivity to selective task engagement in behaving animals. Distinct in vitro biophysical features of DA neurons have been associated with different axonal projection targets. However, it is unknown how this translates to different firing patterns of projection-defined DA subpopulations in the intact brain. We combined retrograde tracing with single-unit recording and labelling in mouse brain to create an in vivo functional topography of the midbrain DA system. We identified differences in burst firing among DA neurons projecting to dorsolateral striatum. Bursting also differentiated DA neurons in the medial substantia nigra (SN) projecting either to dorsal or ventral striatum. We found differences in mean firing rates and pause durations among ventral tegmental area (VTA) DA neurons projecting to lateral or medial shell of nucleus accumbens. Our data establishes a high-resolution functional in vivo landscape of midbrain DA neurons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navid Farassat
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | | | - Stefan Albert
- Institute for Mathematics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Lora Kovacheva
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Josef Shin
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Richard Egger
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | | | - Sevil Duvarci
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Gaby Schneider
- Institute for Mathematics, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Jochen Roeper
- Institute for Neurophysiology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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Fraser KM, Janak PH. Occasion setters attain incentive motivational value: implications for contextual influences on reward-seeking. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 26:291-298. [PMID: 31308248 PMCID: PMC6636542 DOI: 10.1101/lm.049320.119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/07/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The context in which reward-paired cues are encountered can resolve ambiguity and set the occasion for appropriate reward-seeking. The psychological processes by which contexts regulate reward-seeking remain unclear as contexts are diffuse and difficult to isolate from other stimuli. To overcome this, we modeled a context as a phasic and discrete event—an occasion setter (OS)—which allowed for control over its presentation and influence on cue-driven reward-seeking. This allowed us to directly assess how OSs regulate the predictive and motivational significance of Pavlovian cues. Male rats (n = 50) were trained in a Pavlovian procedure where the presentation of an ambiguous conditioned stimulus (CS) was reinforced only if preceded by an occasion setting cue. We assessed the motivational value of the OS and CS alone or in combination using tests of conditioned reinforcement. Rats enhanced conditioned approach to the reward port during the CS when it was preceded by the OS. When allowed the opportunity, rats responded more to obtain presentations of the CS in combination with the OS than the CS alone. Critically, rats also worked to obtain presentations of the OS alone more than the CS alone, and this was resistant to manipulations of the value of the OS. We conclude that occasion setting can act via incentive motivational mechanisms and that, apart from resolving predictive information about ambiguous reward-paired cues, OSs themselves generate states of appetitive motivation that can facilitate reward-seeking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kurt M Fraser
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Patricia H Janak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.,The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA.,Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA
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Synchronicity: The Role of Midbrain Dopamine in Whole-Brain Coordination. eNeuro 2019; 6:ENEURO.0345-18.2019. [PMID: 31053604 PMCID: PMC6500793 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0345-18.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 03/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Midbrain dopamine seems to play an outsized role in motivated behavior and learning. Widely associated with mediating reward-related behavior, decision making, and learning, dopamine continues to generate controversies in the field. While many studies and theories focus on what dopamine cells encode, the question of how the midbrain derives the information it encodes is poorly understood and comparatively less addressed. Recent anatomical studies suggest greater diversity and complexity of afferent inputs than previously appreciated, requiring rethinking of prior models. Here, we elaborate a hypothesis that construes midbrain dopamine as implementing a Bayesian selector in which individual dopamine cells sample afferent activity across distributed brain substrates, comprising evidence to be evaluated on the extent to which stimuli in the on-going sensorimotor stream organizes distributed, parallel processing, reflecting implicit value. To effectively generate a temporally resolved phasic signal, a population of dopamine cells must exhibit synchronous activity. We argue that synchronous activity across a population of dopamine cells signals consensus across distributed afferent substrates, invigorating responding to recognized opportunities and facilitating further learning. In framing our hypothesis, we shift from the question of how value is computed to the broader question of how the brain achieves coordination across distributed, parallel processing. We posit the midbrain is part of an “axis of agency” in which the prefrontal cortex (PFC), basal ganglia (BGS), and midbrain form an axis mediating control, coordination, and consensus, respectively.
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Watabe-Uchida M, Uchida N. Multiple Dopamine Systems: Weal and Woe of Dopamine. COLD SPRING HARBOR SYMPOSIA ON QUANTITATIVE BIOLOGY 2019; 83:83-95. [PMID: 30787046 DOI: 10.1101/sqb.2018.83.037648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The ability to predict future outcomes increases the fitness of the animal. Decades of research have shown that dopamine neurons broadcast reward prediction error (RPE) signals-the discrepancy between actual and predicted reward-to drive learning to predict future outcomes. Recent studies have begun to show, however, that dopamine neurons are more diverse than previously thought. In this review, we will summarize a series of our studies that have shown unique properties of dopamine neurons projecting to the posterior "tail" of the striatum (TS) in terms of anatomy, activity, and function. Specifically, TS-projecting dopamine neurons are activated by a subset of negative events including threats from a novel object, send prediction errors for external threats, and reinforce avoidance behaviors. These results indicate that there are at least two axes of dopamine-mediated reinforcement learning in the brain-one learning from canonical RPEs and another learning from threat prediction errors. We argue that the existence of multiple learning systems is an adaptive strategy that makes possible each system optimized for its own needs. The compartmental organization in the mammalian striatum resembles that of a dopamine-recipient area in insects (mushroom body), pointing to a principle of dopamine function conserved across phyla.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mitsuko Watabe-Uchida
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Naoshige Uchida
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
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