Reward prediction error does not explain movement selectivity in DMS-projecting dopamine neurons
Abstract
Although midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons have been thought to primarily encode reward prediction error (RPE), recent studies have also found movement-related DAergic signals. For example, we recently reported that DA neurons in mice projecting to dorsomedial striatum are modulated by choices contralateral to the recording side. Here, we introduce, and ultimately reject, a candidate resolution for the puzzling RPE vs movement dichotomy, by showing how seemingly movement-related activity might be explained by an action-specific RPE. By considering both choice and RPE on a trial-by-trial basis, we find that DA signals are modulated by contralateral choice in a manner that is distinct from RPE, implying that choice encoding is better explained by movement direction. This fundamental separation between RPE and movement encoding may help shed light on the diversity of functions and dysfunctions of the DA system.
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All data generated or analysed during this study are included in the manuscript and supporting files.
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Author details
Funding
National Institute for Health Research (5R01MH106689-02)
- Ilana B Witten
New York Stem Cell Foundation (Robertson Investigator)
- Ilana B Witten
Army Research Office (W911NF-16-1-0474)
- Nathaniel D Daw
Army Research Office (W911NF-17-1-0554)
- Ilana B Witten
The funders had no role in study design, data collection and interpretation, or the decision to submit the work for publication.
Copyright
© 2019, Lee et al.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License permitting unrestricted use and redistribution provided that the original author and source are credited.
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