Rapid signalling in distinct dopaminergic axons during locomotion and reward.

ABSTRACT: Dopaminergic projection axons from the midbrain to the striatum are crucial for motor control, as their degeneration in Parkinson disease results in profound movement deficits. Paradoxically, most recording methods report rapid phasic dopamine signalling (~100-ms bursts) in response to unpredicted rewards, with little evidence for movement-related signalling. The leading model posits that phasic signalling in striatum-targeting dopamine neurons drives reward-based learning, whereas slow variations in firing (tens of seconds to minutes) in these same neurons bias animals towards or away from movement. However, current methods have provided little evidence to support or refute this model. Here, using new optical recording methods, we report the discovery of rapid phasic signalling in striatu

SUBMITTER: Howe MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4970879 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature