title: Separate populations of neurons in ventral striatum encode value and motivation.
abstract: Neurons in the ventral striatum (VS) fire to cues that predict differently valued rewards. It is unclear whether this activity represents the value associated with the expected reward or the level of motivation induced by reward anticipation. To distinguish between the two, we trained rats on a task in which we varied value independently from motivation by manipulating the size of the reward expected on correct trials and the threat of punishment expected upon errors. We found that separate populations of neurons in VS encode expected value and motivation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America. bissonette@gmail.com
authors.forename: Gregory B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Bissonette
authors.forename: Amanda C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Burton
authors.forename: Ronny N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Gentry
authors.forename: Brandon L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Taylor N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Hearn
authors.forename: Brian R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Barnett
authors.forename: Vadim
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kashtelyan
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Roesch
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000166:cytology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012201:Reward; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis