Serotonin in Affective Control
Abstract
Serotonin is a neuromodulator that is extensively entangled in fundamental aspects of brain function and behavior. We present a computational view of its involvement in the control of appetitively and aversively motivated actions. We first describe a range of its effects in invertebrates, endowing specific structurally fixed networks with plasticity at multiple spatial and temporal scales. We then consider its rather widespread distribution in the mammalian brain. We argue that this is associated with a more unified representational and functional role in aversive processing that is amenable to computational analyses with the kinds of reinforcement learning techniques that have helped elucidate dopamine's role in appetitive behavior. Finally, we suggest that it is only a partial reflection of dopamine because of essential asymmetries between the natural statistics of rewards and punishments.
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MBD has established links with reinforcement learning.
“It is also important, however, to record from other neuromodulatory nuclei such as the MBD, given its established links with reinforcement learning.20”
From Two prefrontal-subcortical circuits estimate controllability and reflect its impact on learning (2026) · cites this paper as [20]
DRN activity has been linked to control, especially in studies focused on aversive learning and the sense of helplessness that ensued when aversive events were uncontrollable.
“It is important to record from DRN because its activity has been linked to control, albeit especially in a series of studies that focused on aversive learning and the sense of helplessness that ensued when aversive events were uncontrollable.19”
From Two prefrontal-subcortical circuits estimate controllability and reflect its impact on learning (2026) · cites this paper as [20]
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References 285 · Cited by 381
- Authors
- Dayan, P., & Huys, Q. J. M.
- Affiliations
- Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit (GB)
- Venue
- Annual Review of Neuroscience
- Publisher
- Annual Reviews
- Published
- 2009-06-01
- Volume
- 32
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 95-126
- ISSN
- 0147-006X (ISSN-L)
- 1545-4126
- OpenAlex
- W2156423826
- Cited by
- 381
- References
- 285
- Citations by year
- 2026: 24 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 23 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 18 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 26 · 2015: 23 · 2014: 33 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 2.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Annual Review of Neuroscience (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- MPG.PuRe (Max Planck Society) (submittedVersion)
- 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
- serotonin, affective control, appetitive motivation, neuromodulation, reinforcement learning, dopamine, reward and punishment, computational neuroscience
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Animals, Avoidance Learning, Brain, Emotions, Humans, Invertebrates, Mammals, Motivation, Reward, Serotonin
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