A role for hypothalamic dopamine in predicting homeostatic need

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PROJECT SUMMARY In order to efficiently control energy homeostasis, the brain makes predictions about future caloric needs and food availability in order to invigorate food-seeking behavior. It is well established that dopamine neurons play a crucial role in this process, as they communicate prediction error signals to central reward centers, such as the nucleus accumbens. This process reinforces learning and aids in the development of reward-seeking behavior in response to environmental cues. Dopamine release in the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) - a primary homeostatic control center, has been reported. However, it is unknown if dopamine in LHA encodes prediction errors to guide food-seeking behavior. Further, the source of LHA dopamine is currently unknown. In this proposal we aim to characterize the role of dopamine in LHA and test the hypothesis that LHA receives prediction error signals from dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area. The experiments in this proposal will reveal a novel neural circuit and define a new role for dopamine in feeding behavior.