The neural mechanism of patience brought about by confidence that "behavior changes when the mind changes"

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21H02530
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 44050:Animal physiological chemistry, physiology and behavioral biology-related
• 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, グループリーダー (80426577)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Serotonin / Patience / Fiber photometry

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ungai Soten" is a four-character idiom that means "Above the rain clouds, there is a blue sky," or in other words, if you are patient and work hard, things will turn out well. What kind of brain mechanism generates the optimistic thought that there is a blue sky above us and that things will turn out well? Based on our previous research, we believes that the key lies in the function of the neurotransmitter serotonin. In this study, we experimentally examine the dynamics of serotonin networks in freely behaving mice as they patiently wait for a reward or give up in an uncertain environment where the probability of reward, the time to reward, and the amount of reward vary.

Free Research Field

Neuroscience

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

環境適応のための脳機能を動的に理解することは、精神疾患の原因解明のために重要です。精神機能との関連性が高いセロトニンが環境変化に応じた目的指向性行動において、神経ネットワークレベルでどのように作用するのかについて実験的に検証した本研究の社会的意義としてこの点が挙げられると考えます。