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Nature 422, 573-574 (10 April 2003) | doi:10.1038/422573a
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Neurobiology: Dopamine as chicken and egg
David Self
Abstract
State-of-the-art technology has allowed pulses of the neurotransmitter dopamine to be measured on a subsecond timescale in the brains of rats. It seems that dopamine both precedes and follows the pursuit of rewards.
Most readers will be familiar with the procedure used by animal trainers to get their animals to perform tricks: follow each successful performance with a tasty snack. This type of learning illustrates the phenomenon of reinforcement, whereby new behavioural responses increase in frequency when they are linked to rewards.
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