Event Title
Striatal circuits and habit formation: Assessing dopamine dynamics in the mouse striatum during reward learning tasks
Abstract
As organisms learn through trial and error, dopamine is released in the striatum to support reward learning. Presently, dopamine’s role in reward learning is suggested to be more heterogenic than what has been previously thought. However, few studies have been able to measure dopamine levels in the striatum with high spatiotemporal precision and a clear description of phasic dopamine dynamics during reward learning is lacking. Our project capitalized on cutting-edge fibre-photometry and biosensor technologies to measure dopamine in the mouse striatum during an innovative touchscreen-based reward learning paradigm. We observed sharp increases in dopamine in the dorsolateral striatum, dorsomedial striatum and nucleus accumbens following correct choice and reward collection. However, in all three regions, sharp decreases in dopamine signalling were seen when an incorrect choice was made. Taken together, these findings will advance fundamental cognitive theories and draw together important connections between dopamine activity and behaviour.
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Striatal circuits and habit formation: Assessing dopamine dynamics in the mouse striatum during reward learning tasks
As organisms learn through trial and error, dopamine is released in the striatum to support reward learning. Presently, dopamine’s role in reward learning is suggested to be more heterogenic than what has been previously thought. However, few studies have been able to measure dopamine levels in the striatum with high spatiotemporal precision and a clear description of phasic dopamine dynamics during reward learning is lacking. Our project capitalized on cutting-edge fibre-photometry and biosensor technologies to measure dopamine in the mouse striatum during an innovative touchscreen-based reward learning paradigm. We observed sharp increases in dopamine in the dorsolateral striatum, dorsomedial striatum and nucleus accumbens following correct choice and reward collection. However, in all three regions, sharp decreases in dopamine signalling were seen when an incorrect choice was made. Taken together, these findings will advance fundamental cognitive theories and draw together important connections between dopamine activity and behaviour.