Dopamine-dependent prediction errors underpin reward-seeking behaviour in humans

Mathias Pessiglione (), Ben Seymour, Guillaume Flandin, Raymond J. Dolan and Chris D. Frith
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Mathias Pessiglione: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience
Ben Seymour: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience
Guillaume Flandin: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience
Raymond J. Dolan: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience
Chris D. Frith: Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience

Nature, 2006, vol. 442, issue 7106, 1042-1045

Abstract: Dopamine by Choice The brain messenger dopamine is traditionally known as the 'pleasure molecule', linked with our desire for food and sex, as well as drug and gambling addictions. The precise function of dopamine in humans has remained elusive, and theories have relied almost exclusively on animal experiments. Using brain imaging technology, Pessiglione et al. scanned healthy human volunteers as they gambled for money after taking drugs that interfere with dopamine signals. Volunteers with boosted dopamine became better gamblers than their dopamine-suppressed counterparts. When dopamine levels were either enhanced or reduced by drugs, the scans showed that both reward-related learning and associated striatal activity are modulated, confirming the critical role of dopamine in integrating reward information for generation future decisions.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05051

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