Diversity in action and reward encoding of the midbrain dopamine neurons

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K18355
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurophysiology / General neuroscience
• Research Institution: Institute of Physical and Chemical Research
• Principal Investigator: Tao Kentaro 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, 基礎科学特別研究員 (10708481)
• Research Collaborator: FUJISAWA Shigeyoshi 独立行政法人理化学研究所, 脳科学総合研究センター, チームリーダー (20589395)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 電気生理学 / ドパミン

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To investigate how midbrain dopamine neurons encode action and reward on a fine time-scale, we established a probabilistic reversal learning paradigm in head-fixed mice using two levers. By recording activity of optogenetically-identified dopamine neurons from the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc), we found that dopamine neurons were classified into several groups in terms of action and reward representation. A subset of dopamine neurons encoded both reward prediction error and trial value within a single trial.

Free Research Field

システム神経生理学