title: Dopamine and adaptive memory.
abstract: Memory is essential to adaptive behavior because it allows past experience to guide choices. Emerging findings indicate that the neurotransmitter dopamine, which signals motivationally important events, also modulates the hippocampus, a crucial brain system for long-term memory. Here we review recent evidence that highlights multiple mechanisms whereby dopamine biases memory towards events that are of motivational significance. These effects take place over a variety of timescales, permitting both expectations and outcomes to influence memory. Thus, dopamine ensures that memories are relevant and accessible for future adaptive behavior, a concept we refer to as 'adaptive memory'. Understanding adaptive memory at biological and psychological levels helps to resolve a fundamental challenge in memory research: explaining what is remembered, and why.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10025, USA. shohamy@psych.columbia.edu
authors.forename: Daphna
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shohamy
authors.forename: R Alison
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Adcock
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008568:Memory; D009042:Motivation; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D004298:Dopamine