The role of midbrain dopamine neurons in reward prediction and reward seeking

为了在生存和繁殖成功的斗争中取得成功，动物必须做出明智的选择，决定追求哪些目标，以及为实现这些目标付出多少代价和承担多少风险。大脑如何做出这样的决定并相应地调整行为？神经生物学家、计算机科学家和心理学家合作开发了一种有影响力的理论来回答这些问题。该理论认为，大脑中的多巴胺细胞调整对奖励的预测的准确性，并设定分配给寻求奖励行为的值。这些多巴胺神经元的活动被认为反映了预期结果和实际结果之间的差异。这种多巴胺信号提供反馈，以改善对未来结果的预测，并选择实现这些结果所需的行动。一系列新颖的实验将在致力于光激活多巴胺细胞的大鼠身上测试预测误差理论。随着老鼠的预测和奖励行为被测量，多巴胺的释放将通过微型化学传感器进行监测。

To succeed in their struggle for survival and reproductive success, animals must make wise choices about which goals to pursue and how much to pay and risk to attain them. How does the brain make such decisions and adjust behaviour accordingly? Neurobiologists, computer scientists, and psychologists have collaborated in developing an influential theory to answer these questions. The theory holds that dopamine cells in the brain adjust the accuracy of predictions about rewards and set the values assigned to reward-seeking actions. The activity of these dopamine neurons is posited to reflect the difference between the consequences that are expected and those that come to pass. This dopamine signal provides feedback to improve predictions of future outcomes and to choose the actions required to achieve them. One line of novel experiments will test the prediction-error theory in rats working for optical activation of dopamine cells. The release of dopamine will be monitored by miniature chemical sensors as the rats’ predictions and reward-seeking actions are measured.