Flexible updating of reward and punishment contingencies by VTA GABA neurons.

ABSTRACT: In dynamic environments where stimuli predicting reward or punishment unexpectedly change, it is critical to flexibly update behavior while preserving recollection of previous associations. Dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) are implicated in reward and punishment learning, yet little is known about how each population adapts when the predicted outcome valence changes. To address this, VTA GABA and dopamine population calcium activity fluctuations were measured with fiber photometry while male and female rats learned to associate three discrete auditory cues with three distinct outcomes: reward, punishment, or no outcome within the same session. Contingency learning was determined by quantifying conditioned responding and probability of

SUBMITTER: Lefner MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12410339 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature