This study investigates the cognitive representations underlying intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) of midbrain dopamine neurons. 20-Hz stimulation, approximating a physiological prediction error, was insufficient to support ICSS beyond a continuous reinforcement schedule and did not endow cues with value. However, 50-Hz stimulation drove robust ICSS and was represented as a specific reward, motivating behavior. This frequency dependence stems from the rate, not number, of action potentials, differentially modulating dopamine release.
Publisher
Nature Neuroscience
Published On
Jul 01, 2024
Authors
Samuel J. Millard, Ivy B. Hoang, Savannah Sherwood, Masakazu Taira, Vanessa Reyes, Zara Greer, Shayna L. O'Connor, Kate M. Wassum, Morgan H. James, David J. Barker, Melissa J. Sharpe
