07 Reward & Motivation Flashcards
1
Q
What are the 4 main dopaminergic pathways in the brain?
A
- nigrostriatal pathway
- mesolimbic pathway
- mesocortical pathway
- tuberoinfundibular pathway
2
Q
nigrostriatal pathway
A
- dopamine synthesis in substantia nigra pars compacta
- released to dorsal striatum (caudate nucleus & putamen
- motor control
- neurodegeneration can lead to Parkinson’s disease
3
Q
tuberoinfundibular pathway
A
- dopamine synthesis in arcuate/infundibular nucleus (hypothalamus)
- released to median eminence/pituitary gland
- hormon regulation, maternal behavior (nurturing), pregnancy, sensory processes
4
Q
mesolimbic pathway
A
- dopamine synthesis in ventral tegmental area
- released to ventral striatum (nucleus accumbens), hippocampus and amygdala
- memory
- motivation and emotional response
- reward and desire
- addiction
5
Q
mesocortical pathway
A
- dopamine synthesis in ventral tegmental area
- released to PFC
- motivation and emotional response
- cognitive control
- can cause hallucinations and schizophrenia if not functioning properly
6
Q
orbitofrontal cortex
A
- multi-modal convergence zone
- lesion leads to equal approach before, missing adaptation of choice behavior when stimulus is no longer rewarded
- medial: increasing activity with increasing reward
- lateral: decreasing activity with increasing reward
7
Q
explanations for reward prediction
A
- if dopamine mediates pleasure, anticipation is the pleasurable experience, not receipt of reward
- dopamine might mediate incentive saliency (wanting), thus requiring a separate mechanism for hedonic aspect of reward (liking)
7
Q
dopamine & reward prediction error
A
- VTA neurons fire for unpredicted reward (positive prediction error)
- fire at CS that predicts reward, baseline when reward occurs (no prediction error)
- below-baseline firing when no expected reward occurs (negative prediction error
7
Q
anticipation vs. receipt of reward
A
- anticipation: increased activity in midbrain and striatum
- receipt: increased activity in insula
