Neural circuit of the serotonin for promoting reward waiting behavior: Examination by optical stimulation

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26780423
• 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): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: セロトニン / 光操作

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Based on the results from our studies, we proposed a new concept about serotonin: the forebrain serotonergic system is involved in reducing behavioral activity not only to avoid aversive events with a prediction of punishment, but also to obtain a reward with a prediction of reward.
To test them, we used transgenic mice that express the channelrhodopsin-2 （ChR2） variant C128S, a step-function opsin, in serotonin neurons and showed that the selective activation of serotonin neurons in some projection site of DRN serotonin neuron enhances the patience of mice in waiting for both the conditioned reinforcer tone and food reward. We are continuing experiments to investigate it further.

Free Research Field

神経科学