Dopaminergic systems create reward seeking despite adverse consequences.

ABSTRACT: Resource-seeking behaviours are ordinarily constrained by physiological needs and threats of danger, and the loss of these controls is associated with pathological reward seeking¹. Although dysfunction of the dopaminergic valuation system of the brain is known to contribute towards unconstrained reward seeking^2,3, the underlying reasons for this behaviour are unclear. Here we describe dopaminergic neural mechanisms that produce reward seeking despite adverse consequences in Drosophila melanogaster. Odours paired with optogenetic activation of a defined subset of reward-encoding dopaminergic neurons become cues that starved flies seek while neglecting food and enduring electric shock punishment. Unconstrained seeking of reward is not observed after learning with sugar

SUBMITTER: Jovanoski KD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10632144 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature