Cited by 1,584Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesGambling Behavior and Treatments

Dopamine-dependent prediction errors underpin reward-seeking behaviour in humans

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Pessiglione, Mathias, Seymour, Ben, Flandin, Guillaume, Dolan, Raymond J., Frith, Chris D.·2006·Nature

Abstract

Theories of instrumental learning are centred on understanding how success and failure are used to improve future decisions. These theories highlight a central role for reward prediction errors in updating the values associated with available actions. In animals, substantial evidence indicates that the neurotransmitter dopamine might have a key function in this type of learning, through its ability to modulate cortico-striatal synaptic efficacy. However, no direct evidence links dopamine, striatal activity and behavioural choice in humans. Here we show that, during instrumental learning, the magnitude of reward prediction error expressed in the striatum is modulated by the administration of drugs enhancing (3,4-dihydroxy-L-phenylalanine; L-DOPA) or reducing (haloperidol) dopaminergic function. Accordingly, subjects treated with L-DOPA have a greater propensity to choose the most rewarding action relative to subjects treated with haloperidol. Furthermore, incorporating the magnitude of the prediction errors into a standard action-value learning algorithm accurately reproduced subjects' behavioural choices under the different drug conditions. We conclude that dopamine-dependent modulation of striatal activity can account for how the human brain uses reward prediction errors to improve future decisions.

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Authors
Pessiglione, M., Seymour, B., Flandin, G., Dolan, R. J., & Frith, C. D.
Affiliations
  • University College London (GB)
  • Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
Corresponding author
Pessiglione, Mathias
Venue
Nature
Published
2006-08
Volume
442
Issue
7106
Pages
1042-1045
ISSN
  • 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
  • 1476-4687
OpenAlex
W2046713808
Cited by
1,584
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 42 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 77 · 2023: 86 · 2022: 57 · 2021: 107 · 2020: 149 · 2019: 64 · 2018: 98 · 2017: 100 · 2016: 91 · 2015: 104 · 2014: 80 · 2013: 86 · 2012: 103
FWCI
18.59
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Digital Library (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • Cambridge University Engineering Department Publications Database (submittedVersion)
  • MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • Wellcome Trust (078865)
  • Fondation Fyssen
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Gambling Behavior and Treatments
Keywords
dopamine, reward prediction error, reward-seeking behavior, operant conditioning, striatum, L-DOPA, haloperidol, decision-making, gambling
MeSH terms
Adult, Algorithms, Behavior, Computer Simulation, Computers, Dopamine, Female, Forecasting, Haloperidol, Humans, Learning, Levodopa, Male, Models, Neurological, Punishment, Reward, Dopamine Agents, Neostriatum, Dopamine Antagonists

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