title: How visual stimuli activate dopaminergic neurons at short latency.
abstract: Unexpected, biologically salient stimuli elicit a short-latency, phasic response in midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neurons. Although this signal is important for reinforcement learning, the information it conveys to forebrain target structures remains uncertain. One way to decode the phasic DA signal would be to determine the perceptual properties of sensory inputs to DA neurons. After local disinhibition of the superior colliculus in anesthetized rats, DA neurons became visually responsive, whereas disinhibition of the visual cortex was ineffective. As the primary source of visual afferents, the limited processing capacities of the colliculus may constrain the visual information content of phasic DA responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, S10 2TP, UK.
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dommett
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Coizet
authors.forename: Charles D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Blaha
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martindale
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lefebvre
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: John E W
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Mayhew
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Overton
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Redgrave
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001640:Bicuculline / Q000494:pharmacology; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D017072:Neostriatum / Q000502:physiology; D009433:Neural Inhibition; D009474:Neurons / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D051381:Rats; D011930:Reaction Time; D012054:Reinforcement, Psychology; D012201:Reward; D013378:Substantia Nigra / Q000502:physiology*; D013477:Superior Colliculi / Q000502:physiology*; D017557:Ventral Tegmental Area / Q000502:physiology*; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D004298:Dopamine; D001640:Bicuculline