Cited by 2,396Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Dopamine in motivational control: rewarding, aversive, and alerting

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Bromberg-Martin, Ethan S., Matsumoto, Masayuki, Hikosaka, Okihide·2010·Neuron

Abstract

Midbrain dopamine neurons are well known for their strong responses to rewards and their critical role in positive motivation. It has become increasingly clear, however, that dopamine neurons also transmit signals related to salient but nonrewarding experiences such as aversive and alerting events. Here we review recent advances in understanding the reward and nonreward functions of dopamine. Based on this data, we propose that dopamine neurons come in multiple types that are connected with distinct brain networks and have distinct roles in motivational control. Some dopamine neurons encode motivational value, supporting brain networks for seeking, evaluation, and value learning. Others encode motivational salience, supporting brain networks for orienting, cognition, and general motivation. Both types of dopamine neurons are augmented by an alerting signal involved in rapid detection of potentially important sensory cues. We hypothesize that these dopaminergic pathways for value, salience, and alerting cooperate to support adaptive behavior.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2010.11.022

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275 of 275 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Most forebrain monoamines originate in the midbrain: serotonin in the dorsal raphe, norepinephrine in the locus coeruleus, and dopamine in the VTA or substantia nigra pars compacta.

    “The endogenous source for the majority of monoamines in the forebrain come from the midbrain, with serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine arising from the dorsal raphe (DR), locus coeruleus (LC), and ventral tegmental area (VTA) or substantia nigra pars compacta, respectively”

    From Mechanisms of ketamine and its metabolites as antidepressants (2022) · cites this paper as Bromberg-Martin et al., 2010

    The Introduction (page not provided) identifies the VTA and substantia nigra pars compacta as major sources of dopamine in the cerebral cortex and most subcortical areas. Our copy does not establish the claimed dorsal-raphe source of forebrain serotonin, locus-coeruleus source of forebrain norepinephrine, or the broader statement about most forebrain monoamines. (LLM, conf=0.88)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Midbrain dopamine neurons constitute the mesocorticolimbic pathway critical for creating rewards and signaling aversive outcomes.

    “Furthermore, midbrain DA neurons constitute the mesocorticolimbic pathway critical for creating rewards and signaling aversive outcomes (55, 56).”

    From Emotional Blunting in Patients With Major Depressive Disorder: A Brief Non-systematic Review of Current Research (2021) · cites this paper as [55]

    In “Destinations of motivational value signals” (page not provided), the paper describes midbrain dopamine projections to prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum; in “Diverse dopamine responses to aversive events,” it reports dopamine-neuron signals related to aversive outcomes. But “Dopamine in motivation of reward-seeking actions” says dopamine is crucial for motivation to seek rewards, not necessarily for producing the pleasure of a reward. Thus “creating rewards” overstates what the source supports. (LLM, conf=0.86)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • DA neurotransmission is essential for diverse behavioral outputs, including motivation, cognition, reward learning, decision making, salience attribution, and voluntary motor control.

    “DA neurotransmission is essential for diverse behavioral outputs, including motivation, cognition, reward learning, decision making, salience attribution, and voluntary motor control [121–127].”

    From Adolescent nicotine exposure and persistent neurocircuitry changes: unveiling lifelong psychiatric risks (2025) · cites this paper as [123]

    The Introduction describes dopamine as crucial to motivation and choosing actions, while the Conclusion links dopamine signals to cognition and motivational salience. The section on reward-seeking actions supports a role in reward learning, and the section on motivational value and salience says dopamine neurons are critical for reliable motor performance. The source does not establish that dopamine neurotransmission is essential for voluntary motor control generally, rather than for the motivated motor performance it discusses. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • In primates, even a very mild stress can activate the dopaminergic 'salience' neurons that respond to both aversive and rewarding events and can increase dopamine release in dlPFC.

    “In primates, even a very mild stress can activate the dopaminergic ‘salience’ neurons that respond to both aversive and rewarding events46 and can increase dopamine release in dlPFC47.”

    From Stress weakens prefrontal networks: molecular insults to higher cognition (2015) · cites this paper as [46]

    In “Diverse dopamine responses to aversive events” (page unavailable), the paper describes salience-coding dopamine neurons excited by both rewarding and aversive events, including responses to aversive airpuffs. It does not establish that even a very mild stress activates them in primates. The separate dlPFC-release clause is attached to citation 47, not this source. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Salience-signalling dopamine neurons do not differentiate the unpredicted absence of reward and aversion.

    “salience-signalling dopamine neurons do not differentiate the unpredicted absence of reward and aversion (right panel)”

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Authors
Bromberg-Martin, E. S., Matsumoto, M., & Hikosaka, O.
Affiliations
National Institutes of Health (US)
Corresponding author
Hikosaka, Okihide
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2010-12
Volume
68
Issue
5
Pages
815-834
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2076457657
Cited by
2,396
References
275
Citations by year
2026: 131 · 2025: 208 · 2024: 189 · 2023: 137 · 2022: 158 · 2021: 185 · 2020: 208 · 2019: 161 · 2018: 159 · 2017: 142 · 2016: 135 · 2015: 136 · 2014: 143 · 2013: 123 · 2012: 113
FWCI
8.73
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (Z99 EY999999)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research
Keywords
dopaminergic neurons, motivational control, reward, aversive stimuli, alerting, motivational salience, motivational value, value learning, orienting, midbrain dopamine, dopaminergic pathways
MeSH terms
Animals, Arousal, Avoidance Learning, Dopamine, Humans, Mesencephalon, Motivation, Neural Pathways, Neurons, Reward

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