The role of serotonin in behavior control under prediction of reward and punishment.

• Project/Area Number: 24730643
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University
• Principal Investigator: MIYAZAKI Kayoko 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 神経計算ユニット, 研究員 (80426577)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2014-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2013)
• Budget Amount: ¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000); Fiscal Year 2012: ¥3,380,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥780,000)
• Keywords: セロトニン / 報酬 / 光操作 / 罰 / 光刺激 / 遅延報酬 / 遅延罰

Research Abstract

A low level of serotonin is often associated with impulsive behavior.In this study, we developed optogenetic mice that express channelrhodopsin selectively in serotonin neurons and tested how the activation of serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus affects animal behavior during a delayed reward task. The activation of serotonin neurons reduced the premature cessation of waiting for conditioned cues and food rewards. In reward omission trials, serotonin neuron stimulation prolonged the time animals spent waiting. This effect was observed specifically when the animal was engaged in deciding whether to keep waiting and not due to motor inhibition. These experimental results show, for the first time, that the timed activation of serotonin neurons during waiting promotes animals' patience to wait for delayed rewards.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons is necessary for waiting for delayed rewards (2012)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki KW, Miyazaki K, Doya K
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Neuroscience Volume: 32 Pages: 10451-10457
• [Journal Article] The role of serotonin in the regulation of patience and impulsivity (2012)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Doya K
  • Journal Title: Molecular Neurobiology Volume: 45 Pages: 213-224
• [Journal Article] Activation of Dorsal Raphe Serotonin Neurons Is Necessary for Waiting for Delayed Reward (2012)
  • Author(s): Kayoko W. Miyazaki, Katsuhiko Miyazaki and Kenji Doya
  • Journal Title: The Journal of Neuroscience Volume: 32 Issue: 31 Pages: 10451-10457
  • DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0915-12.2012
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Role of Serotonin in the Regulation of Patience and Impulsivity (2012)
  • Author(s): Katsuhiko Miyazaki, Kayoko W. Miyazaki & Kenji Doya
  • Journal Title: Molecular Neurobiology Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Pages: 213-224
  • DOI: 10.1007/s12035-012-8232-6
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons enhances patience for future rewards (2014)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: 87th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Pharmacological Society
  • Place of Presentation: Sendai, Japan
• [Presentation] Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons enhances patience for future rewards. (2014)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: 29th CINP World Congress of Neuropsychopharmacology
  • Place of Presentation: Vancouver, Canada
• [Presentation] Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons enhances patience for future rewards (2013)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki KW, Miyazaki K, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: 43th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
  • Place of Presentation: San Diego, USA
• [Presentation] Impulsivity and serotonin (2013)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: 43nd Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society of Neuropsychopharmacology
  • Place of Presentation: Okinawa, Japan
• [Presentation] Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons enhances patience for future rewards. (2013)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki KW, Miyazaki K, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: 43th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience
  • Place of Presentation: San Diego, USA
• [Presentation] Optogenetic activation of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons enhances patience for future rewards. (2013)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Tanaka KF, Yamanaka A, Takahashi A, Doya K
  • Organizer: International Symposium Optogenetics
  • Place of Presentation: 東京
  • Invited
• [Presentation] The role of serotonin neuron in patience of waiting for delayed rewards (2012)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki K, Miyazaki KW, Doya K
  • Organizer: 10th Serotonin Club Meeting
  • Place of Presentation: Montpellier, France
• [Presentation] The role of serotonin neuron in patience of waiting for delayed rewards (2012)
  • Author(s): Miyazaki KW, Miyazaki K, Doya K
  • Organizer: Comprehensive Brain Science Network
  • Place of Presentation: Sendai, Japan
• [Presentation] The role of serotonin neuron in patience of waiting for delayed rewards (2012)
  • Author(s): 宮崎佳代子
  • Organizer: 包括脳ネットワーク夏のワークショップ
  • Place of Presentation: 仙台市
• [Presentation] The role of serotonin neuron in patience of waiting for delayed rewards (2012)
  • Author(s): 宮崎勝彦
  • Organizer: セロトニンクラブミーティング
  • Place of Presentation: モンペリエ（フランス）
• [Book] セロトニン神経系による意思決定の制御-基礎的知見から-.日本生物学的精神医学会会誌24 (2013)
  • Author(s): 宮崎勝彦, 宮崎佳代子, 銅谷賢治
• [Remarks]
  • URL: http://www.oist.jp/ja/pressrelease/study-confirms-serotonin%E2%80%99s-role-controlling-patience