2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report
Neural mechanisms underlying the motivation to overcome disappointment
Project/Area Number |
20K16474
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Research Category |
Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
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Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
Review Section |
Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
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Research Institution | Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University |
Principal Investigator |
Sarpong Gideon 沖縄科学技術大学院大学, 神経生物学研究ユニット, ポストドクトラルスカラー (00837198)
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Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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Keywords | Dopamine / Motivation / Imaging |
Outline of Final Research Achievements |
In the natural environment, adapting to variations in foraging and courtship, which are highly dynamic and often not immediately successful, are critical for survival. However, the neural mechanisms underlying the motivation to overcome disappointment are unknown. This study aimed to reveal a new type of activity of midbrain dopamine neurons (DN), the most important element of the brain reward system that was traditionally thought to be critical for passive acceptance of disappointment. In a novel rat behavioral model that strongly induces such motivation, we found that a subpopulation of DN in the ventral tegmental area increased activity in response to unexpected omission of reward. By employing calcium imaging technique at single-cell resolution, it was possible to measure the calcium activity of many dopamine neurons simultaneously. Overall, this study clarified the central neural mechanisms responsible for overcoming the omission of reward.
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Free Research Field |
Neuroscience
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Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements |
We developed a behavioral task that enabled us to quantitatively measure the ability to adaptively switch toward the next opportunity to obtain a probabilistic reward after the lack of reward. The study provides a better understanding of neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression or “hikikomori”.
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