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Reward

Excited by punishment

Nature Reviews Neuroscience volume 10, pages 6–7 (2009)Cite this article

Hikosaka and colleagues previously showed that LHb neurons are 'reward-negative': they decrease and increase their firing rate in response to targets that predict a reward and no reward, respectively. Here, they elaborated on this finding by investigating the LHb response to both reward and punishment in monkeys. Symbols on a screen signalled the likelihood of an upcoming liquid reward or airpuff punishment. In reward-only blocks, three different symbols indicated either a reward, a 50% chance of a reward, or no reward. In punishment-only blocks, three symbols were associated with a definite punishment, a 50% chance of a punishment, or no punishment. The authors found that the average response of LHb neurons increased as the chance of a reward decreased, and it increased as the likelihood of a punishment increased. Moreover, the LHb response was context-dependent: although the symbol that predicted no reward was the same as that which predicted no punishment, the LHb response to the symbol was higher in reward blocks than in punishment blocks.

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ORIGINAL RESEARCH PAPERS

  1. Matsumoto, M. & Hikosaka, O. Representation of negative motivational value in the primate lateral habenula. Nature Neurosci. 30 Nov 2008 (doi:10.1038/nn.2233)

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  2. Hong, S. & Hikosaka, O. The globus pallidus sends reward-related signals to the lateral habenula. Neuron 60, 720–729 (2008)

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Authors
  1. Leonie Welberg
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Welberg, L. Excited by punishment. Nat Rev Neurosci 10, 6–7 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2561

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2561

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