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Nucleus accumbens D1- and D2-expressing neurons control the balance between feeding and activity-mediated energy expenditure
Increasing evidence point to a dysfunction of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in eating disorders. Here, the authors provide evidence that dysregulation of the activity of NAc dopaminoceptive neuronal subpopulations is sufficient to alter energy balance.
- Roman Walle
- , Anna Petitbon
- & Pierre Trifilieff
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| Open Access
Control of feeding by a bottom-up midbrain-subthalamic pathway
Periaqueductal gray (PAG) inputs control hunting, but foraging-inducing PAG cells were unidentified. Here, authors show that in mice activity in the projection of vgat PAG cells to the zona incerta is sufficient and necessary for food-seeking.
- Fernando M. C. V. Reis
- , Sandra Maesta-Pereira
- & Avishek Adhikari
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| Open Access
Prefrontal signals precede striatal signals for biased credit assignment in motivational learning biases
People are more likely to take action when they expect a reward but hold back when expecting punishment. Here, the authors show that such motivational biases may stem from biased action outcome learning in cortico-striatal circuits.
- Johannes Algermissen
- , Jennifer C. Swart
- & Hanneke E. M. den Ouden
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| Open Access
Electrophysiological population dynamics reveal context dependencies during decision making in human frontal cortex
How neurons represent competing values during decision making remains poorly understood. Here, the authors find evidence that context modulates value representation in the human cortex.
- Wan-Yu Shih
- , Hsiang-Yu Yu
- & Shih-Wei Wu
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| Open Access
Distinct value computations support rapid sequential decisions
How animals determine the value of the environment for motivation and error-based learning remains unclear. Here, the authors found that rats use multiple distinct algorithms to compute the value of the environment for rapid sequential actions on single trials.
- Andrew Mah
- , Shannon S. Schiereck
- & Christine M. Constantinople
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| Open Access
Mobilization of endocannabinoids by midbrain dopamine neurons is required for the encoding of reward prediction
Inhibiting 2-AG synthesis in ventral tegmental area dopamine neurons may impair cue-driven motivated behavior and dopamine release. Here the authors report this, showing the role of endocannabinoid signaling in dopamine-based predictive associations.
- Miguel Á. Luján
- , Dan P. Covey
- & Joseph F. Cheer
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| Open Access
Dopamine receptor activation regulates reward expectancy signals during cognitive control in primate prefrontal neurons
Dopamine responds to reward-predicting cues and is also linked to cognitive control. Here the authors examine the role of dopamine receptor subtypes in the neuromodulation of reward-related activity in the macaque prefrontal cortex.
- Torben Ott
- , Anna Marlina Stein
- & Andreas Nieder
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| Open Access
Training-induced circuit-specific excitatory synaptogenesis in mice is required for effort control
The role of synaptogenesis during the acquisition of goal-directed behaviors is unknown. Here, the authors show that learning-induced synaptogenesis in the adult mouse cortex is required to excite a specific circuit to adjust effort exertion.
- Francesco Paolo Ulloa Severino
- , Oluwadamilola O. Lawal
- & Cagla Eroglu
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Article
| Open Access
Multifaceted information-seeking motives in children
Knowledge can impact children’s emotion, cognition, and action. The authors show that when seeking information, children consider if information is useful, positive, and lowers uncertainty, with the emphasis on these considerations changing with age.
- Gaia Molinaro
- , Irene Cogliati Dezza
- & Tali Sharot
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| Open Access
A glutamatergic DRN–VTA pathway modulates neuropathic pain and comorbid anhedonia-like behavior in mice
The neural circuit mechanisms underlying chronic pain and comorbid anhedonia remain poorly understood. Here, the authors show the critical role of the DRN–VTA–NAcMed pathway in establishing and modulating chronic neuropathic pain and comorbid anhedonia.
- Xin-Yue Wang
- , Wen-Bin Jia
- & Yan Zhang
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| Open Access
Chemogenetic dissection of a prefrontal-hypothalamic circuit for socially subjective reward valuation in macaques
How subjective reward value is affected by social comparison remains poorly understood. Here, the authors show a crucial role for the circuit from the medial prefrontal cortex to the lateral hypothalamus in subjective value modulation in social contexts.
- Atsushi Noritake
- , Taihei Ninomiya
- & Masaki Isoda
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| Open Access
Reinforcement learning establishes a minimal metacognitive process to monitor and control motor learning performance
Metacognition is fundamental for regulating learning speeds and memory retention. Here, the authors demonstrate that reinforcement learning mediates this process in implicit motor learning, maximizing rewards and minimizing punishments.
- Taisei Sugiyama
- , Nicolas Schweighofer
- & Jun Izawa
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Article
| Open Access
Mesolimbic dopamine release precedes actively sought aversive stimuli in mice
Animals may approach normally aversive stimuli such as an air puff when in a non-enriched environment. Here the authors show that dopamine release in the ventral lateral striatum was reduced by aversive stimulation, but was increased when it was actively sought.
- Yosuke Yawata
- , Yu Shikano
- & Yuji Ikegaya
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| Open Access
Environmental context-dependent activation of dopamine neurons via putative amygdala-nigra pathway in macaques
How the primate dopamine system retains information on higher-order factors such as environmental context remains elusive. Here, the authors show tonic activity changes of dopamine neurons in different environments and the involvement of a putative amygdala-nigra pathway in such neural modulation.
- Kazutaka Maeda
- , Ken-ichi Inoue
- & Okihide Hikosaka
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| Open Access
Subcortical serotonin 5HT2c receptor-containing neurons sex-specifically regulate binge-like alcohol consumption, social, and arousal behaviors in mice
The neurobiological mechanisms by which binge alcohol consumption disrupts social and emotional functioning are unknown. Here, the authors demonstrate that sex-specific social and arousal disturbances induced by binge alcohol consumption are driven by dysregulation of serotonergic signaling and activation of 5HT2c receptor-containing neurons in the lateral habenula in mice.
- M. E. Flanigan
- , O. J. Hon
- & T. L. Kash
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| Open Access
An opioid-gated thalamoaccumbal circuit for the suppression of reward seeking in mice
The role of opioids in the neural systems of maladaptive behavioral suppression is unclear. Here, authors identify a thalamoaccumbal brain circuit that is required for the suppression of reward seeking and is rapidly disengaged by opioids leading to unrestricted behavioral actions.
- Kelsey M. Vollmer
- , Lisa M. Green
- & James M. Otis
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| Open Access
Hippocampal convergence during anticipatory midbrain activation promotes subsequent memory formation
Motivational states play a key role in memory formation. Here, the authors show that curiosity engages reward circuitry to promote a hippocampal state conducive to the formation of new memories.
- Jia-Hou Poh
- , Mai-Anh T. Vu
- & R. Alison Adcock
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Article
| Open Access
A neuro-computational account of procrastination behavior
Most humans procrastinate to some extent, despite adverse consequences. Here, the authors show that how much an individual procrastinates, both in the lab and at home, relates to brain signals that reflect temporal discounting of effort cost.
- Raphaël Le Bouc
- & Mathias Pessiglione
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| Open Access
Social incentivization of instrumental choice in mice requires amygdala-prelimbic cortex-nucleus accumbens connectivity
Social experiences influence future decision making. The authors here establish a method for quantifying this phenomenon in mice and identify an amygdalo-frontal-striatal circuit controlling how social context shapes decisions.
- Henry W. Kietzman
- , Gracy Trinoskey-Rice
- & Shannon L. Gourley
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| Open Access
Orbitofrontal cortex contributes to the comparison of values underlying economic choices
Economic choices entail the comparison of offer values, but the neural underpinnings of this process are poorly understood. Here the authors show that weak electrical stimulation of the orbitofrontal cortex selectively disrupts value comparison without affecting offer values.
- Sébastien Ballesta
- , Weikang Shi
- & Camillo Padoa-Schioppa
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| Open Access
Compulsive alcohol drinking in rodents is associated with altered representations of behavioral control and seeking in dorsal medial prefrontal cortex
Compulsive alcohol drinking is a core feature of alcohol use disorder. Here the authors find that in rodents, neural signals in a key decision-making brain region (dmPFC) shift from behavioral control to alcohol seeking during compulsive alcohol drinking behaviour.
- Nicholas M. Timme
- , Baofeng Ma
- & Christopher C. Lapish
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| Open Access
Parallel ventral hippocampus-lateral septum pathways differentially regulate approach-avoidance conflict
The ventral hippocampal CA3 and CA1 subfields play a critical role in the resolution of approach-avoidance conflict. Here the authors show that the subfields contribute to the regulation of this behavior through topographically distinct projections to the lateral septum.
- Dylan C. M. Yeates
- , Dallas Leavitt
- & Rutsuko Ito
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| Open Access
An energizing role for motivation in information-seeking during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic
Information-seeking behavior in humans is often viewed as irrational rather than utility maximizing. Here the authors describe data obtained in Spring 2020 showing that participants’ concern about COVID-19 was related not only to their drive to seek information about the virus, but also to their curiosity about other more general topics.
- Yaniv Abir
- , Caroline B. Marvin
- & Daphna Shohamy
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| Open Access
Medial prefrontal cortex and anteromedial thalamus interaction regulates goal-directed behavior and dopaminergic neuron activity
The prefrontal cortex is involved in goal-directed behaviour. Here the authors show that medial prefrontal cortex activates goal-directed motivation and dopamine neurons via a feedback loop with the anteromedial thalamus.
- Chen Yang
- , Yuzheng Hu
- & Satoshi Ikemoto
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| Open Access
A diencephalic circuit in rats for opioid analgesia but not positive reinforcement
Opioids are potent analgesics but also have addiction risk. Here a lateral preoptic area to lateral habenula connection is identified by which opioids relieve ongoing pain but do not produce reward in animals that do not have ongoing pain.
- Maggie W. Waung
- , Kayla A. Maanum
- & Elyssa B. Margolis
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| Open Access
Primate anterior insular cortex represents economic decision variables proposed by prospect theory
Prospect theory predicts irrational effects in human decision-making, but relies on ad-hoc assumptions. Here, authors provide a neural basis for this by showing that anterior insular cortex encodes key economic variables proposed by prospect theory.
- You-Ping Yang
- , Xinjian Li
- & Veit Stuphorn
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Article
| Open Access
A habenula-insular circuit encodes the willingness to act
A crucial component of voluntary behaviour is deciding that it is worth doing something rather than nothing. Here the authors show the brain network that encodes this decision, which includes the habenula and anterior insula.
- Nima Khalighinejad
- , Neil Garrett
- & Matthew F. S. Rushworth
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| Open Access
Zebrafish capable of generating future state prediction error show improved active avoidance behavior in virtual reality
Using a closed-loop virtual reality system for fish, the authors show that zebrafish are capable of assigning rules to the scenery they see, and of generating a state prediction error by comparing reality with a prediction derived from an internal model.
- Makio Torigoe
- , Tanvir Islam
- & Hitoshi Okamoto
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Opposing roles for striatonigral and striatopallidal neurons in dorsolateral striatum in consolidating new instrumental actions
New instrumental learning occurs through an unexpected delivery of a rewarding stimulus or the withdrawal of a punishing stimulus. The authors show that D1 receptor-expressing medium spiny neurons (MSNs) in the anterior dorsolateral striatum encode newly learned instrumental actions whereas D2 MSNs promote the expression of habitual actions.
- Alexander C. W. Smith
- , Sietse Jonkman
- & Paul J. Kenny
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| Open Access
Neural and computational mechanisms of momentary fatigue and persistence in effort-based choice
The willingness to exert effort into demanding tasks often declines over time through fatigue. Here the authors provide a computational account of the moment-to-moment dynamics of fatigue and its impact on effort-based choices, and reveal the neural mechanisms that underlie such computations.
- Tanja Müller
- , Miriam C. Klein-Flügge
- & Matthew A. J. Apps
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| Open Access
The tectonigral pathway regulates appetitive locomotion in predatory hunting in mice
Goal-oriented movement is a fundamental animal behaviour. Here, the authors show that neurons in the superior colliculus project to the substantia nigra pars compacta, regulating dopaminergic signaling and specifically appetitive locomotion in mice.
- Meizhu Huang
- , Dapeng Li
- & Peng Cao
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| Open Access
Frontopolar theta oscillations link metacognition with prospective decision making
Metacognitive insight into economic preferences has been suggested to enable the consideration of long-term action-consequences. Here, the authors provide a neural link between these phenomena by showing that enhancing frontopolar theta oscillations affects both metacognition and prospective decision making.
- Alexander Soutschek
- , Marius Moisa
- & Philippe N. Tobler
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| Open Access
Anatomical dissociation of intracerebral signals for reward and punishment prediction errors in humans
Whether maximizing rewards and minimizing punishments rely on distinct brain learning systems remains debated. Here, using intracerebral recordings in humans, the authors provide evidence for brain regions differentially engaged in signaling reward and punishment prediction errors that prescribe repetition versus avoidance of past choices.
- Maëlle C. M. Gueguen
- , Alizée Lopez-Persem
- & Julien Bastin
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| Open Access
Supramammillary neurons projecting to the septum regulate dopamine and motivation for environmental interaction in mice
The supramammillary region (SuM) regulates arousal that reinforces and energizes behavioral interaction with the environment. Here the authors investigate how SuM neurons interact with medial septal neurons and ventral tegmental dopamine neurons to regulate motivation for environmental interaction.
- Andrew J. Kesner
- , Rick Shin
- & Satoshi Ikemoto
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| Open Access
A hypothalamic-thalamostriatal circuit that controls approach-avoidance conflict in rats
Animals constantly balance seeking food with avoiding predators. Here, the authors report that CRF positive neurons in the paraventricular thalamus projecting to the nucleus accumbens in rats are an indispensable component of a feedback circuit that can interrupt appetitive behaviour in favor of a defensive response in the presence of a competing threat stimulus.
- D. S. Engelke
- , X. O. Zhang
- & F. H. Do-Monte
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| Open Access
Expectations of reward and efficacy guide cognitive control allocation
People only exert cognitive effort if they think the benefits outweigh the costs. Here, the authors show that people assess these benefits by considering expected rewards and how much their effort matters for obtaining those rewards, and then integrating these to determine how much effort to exert.
- R. Frömer
- , H. Lin
- & A. Shenhav
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| Open Access
Sensory substitution reveals a manipulation bias
The challenge of sensory substitution as a therapeutic approach is to design systems that are well accepted by subjects. Here, in deaf songbirds, the authors substitute hearing with vision, suggesting substitution devices could provide sensory feedback for the key actions that are deprived.
- Anja T. Zai
- , Sophie Cavé-Lopez
- & Richard H. R. Hahnloser
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| Open Access
Distinct dynamics of social motivation drive differential social behavior in laboratory rat and mouse strains
Laboratory rat and mouse strains serve as animal models to explore brain mechanisms underlying social behavior. Here, the authors describe differences in social behavior between commonly used rat and mouse strains, which may reflect distinct dynamics of social motivation.
- Shai Netser
- , Ana Meyer
- & Shlomo Wagner
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Article
| Open Access
Automated markerless pose estimation in freely moving macaques with OpenMonkeyStudio
The rhesus macaque is an important model species in several branches of science, but the utility of this model would be enhanced by the ability to measure behaviour throughout pose. Here, the authors describe a deep learning-based markerless motion capture system for estimating 3D pose in freely moving macaques.
- Praneet C. Bala
- , Benjamin R. Eisenreich
- & Jan Zimmermann
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| Open Access
Neural mechanisms underlying the effects of physical fatigue on effort-based choice
Fatigue influences our choices to engage in physical activity. Here, the authors investigate the underlying cognitive and neuronal mechanisms by which fatigue influences decisions to exert, and show that information about motor cortical state modulates decisions to engage in physical activity.
- Patrick S. Hogan
- , Steven X. Chen
- & Vikram S. Chib
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Article
| Open Access
Dissociable mesolimbic dopamine circuits control responding triggered by alcohol-predictive discrete cues and contexts
Alcohol craving can be enhanced by alcohol-associated cues and by alcohol-associated contexts. Here the authors investigate the role of the ventral tegmental area (VTA)-to-nucleus accumbens (NAc) core and VTA-to-NAc shell circuits in mediating these distinct aspects of alcohol seeking behaviour in rats.
- Milan D. Valyear
- , Iulia Glovaci
- & Nadia Chaudhri
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| Open Access
Vagus nerve stimulation boosts the drive to work for rewards
The vagus nerve transmits signals between the gut and the brain thereby tuning motivated behavior to physiological needs. Here, the authors show that acute non-invasive stimulation of the vagus nerve via the ear enhances the invigoration of effort for rewards.
- Monja P. Neuser
- , Vanessa Teckentrup
- & Nils B. Kroemer
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Article
| Open Access
The role of mPFC and MTL neurons in human choice under goal-conflict
Optimizing approach-avoidance behavior calls for neural encoding of related motivation outcomes. Here, the authors show that behavioral choice under conflict relies on differential neuronal firing patterns after punishment, in which mPFC neurons decode the outcome’s value and MTL neurons follow by reducing subsequent approach.
- Tomer Gazit
- , Tal Gonen
- & Itzhak Fried
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Article
| Open Access
The central amygdala recruits mesocorticolimbic circuitry for pursuit of reward or pain
Brain disorders can create maladaptive attractions, such as in addiction or self-harming. Here the authors use multiple valence modes of the central amygdala to create such attractions, arbitrarily making rats into ‘sucrose addicts' or ‘cocaine addicts', or causing maladaptive attraction to shocks.
- Shelley M. Warlow
- , Erin E. Naffziger
- & Kent C. Berridge
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Article
| Open Access
Interplay between midbrain and dorsal anterior cingulate regions arbitrates lingering reward effects on memory encoding
Rewarded stimuli are better encoded in memory. Here, the authors show that the average accumulation of reward over consecutive trials provides an additive, non-linear (inverted U-shape) modulation of memory encoding, paralleled by a similar recruitment of dopaminergic memory circuitry.
- Kristoffer Carl Aberg
- , Emily Elizabeth Kramer
- & Sophie Schwartz
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Article
| Open Access
Dopamine transients do not act as model-free prediction errors during associative learning
Dopamine neurons are proposed to signal the reward prediction error in model-free reinforcement learning algorithms. Here, the authors show that when given during an associative learning task, optogenetic activation of dopamine neurons causes associative, rather than value, learning.
- Melissa J. Sharpe
- , Hannah M. Batchelor
- & Geoffrey Schoenbaum
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Article
| Open Access
A neural network for information seeking
Animals resolve uncertainty by seeking knowledge about the future. How the brain controls this is unclear. The authors show that a network including primate anterior cingulate cortex and basal ganglia encodes opportunities to gain information about uncertain rewards and mediates information seeking.
- J. Kael White
- , Ethan S. Bromberg-Martin
- & Ilya E. Monosov
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Article
| Open Access
NMDA receptor-dependent plasticity in the nucleus accumbens connects reward-predictive cues to approach responses
Conditioned stimuli elicit phasic changes in nucleus accumbens (NAc) firing that invigorate approach responses to predicted rewards. Here the authors show that NAc neurons acquire cue-evoked responses during learning as a result of excitatory plasticity within the NAc.
- Mercedes Vega-Villar
- , Jon C. Horvitz
- & Saleem M. Nicola
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Article
| Open Access
Role of laterodorsal tegmentum projections to nucleus accumbens in reward-related behaviors
The laterodorsal tegmental nucleus (LDT) is known to influence reward processing through its projections to the VTA. Here, the authors report that the cholinergic projections from the LDT to the nucleus accumbens play an important role in motivation and positive reinforcement behaviors.
- Bárbara Coimbra
- , Carina Soares-Cunha
- & Ana João Rodrigues
Dopamine control of social novelty preference is constrained by an interpeduncular-tegmentum circuit