Reward expectation enhances action-related activity of nigral dopaminergic and two striatal output pathways.

ABSTRACT: Neurons comprising nigrostriatal system play important roles in action selection. However, it remains unclear how this system integrates recent outcome information with current action (movement) and outcome (reward or no reward) information to achieve appropriate subsequent action. We examined how neuronal activity of substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and dorsal striatum reflects the level of reward expectation from recent outcomes in rats performing a reward-based choice task. Movement-related activity of direct and indirect pathway striatal projection neurons (dSPNs and iSPNs, respectively) were enhanced by reward expectation, similarly to the SNc dopaminergic neurons, in both medial and lateral nigrostriatal projections. Given the classical basal ganglia model wherein dopamine stimul

SUBMITTER: Rios A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10482957 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature