Open AccessNoradrenergic But Not Dopaminergic Neurons Signal Task State Changes and Predict Reengagement After a Failure
Author(s) -
Caroline I. Jahn,
Chiara Varazzani,
Jérôme Sallet,
Mark E. Walton,
Sébastien Bouret
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
cerebral cortex
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.694
H-Index - 250
eISSN - 1460-2199
pISSN - 1047-3211
DOI - 10.1093/cercor/bhaa089
Subject(s) - locus coeruleus , dopaminergic , catecholaminergic cell groups , neuroscience , catecholaminergic , novelty , dopamine , midbrain , psychology , oxidopamine , cued speech , task (project management) , substantia nigra , cognitive psychology , central nervous system , social psychology , management , economics
The two catecholamines, noradrenaline and dopamine, have been shown to play comparable roles in behavior. Both noradrenergic and dopaminergic neurons respond to cues predicting reward availability and novelty. However, even though both are thought to be involved in motivating actions, their roles in motivation have seldom been directly compared. We therefore examined the activity of putative noradrenergic neurons in the locus coeruleus and putative midbrain dopaminergic neurons in monkeys cued to perform effortful actions for rewards. The activity in both regions correlated with engagement with a presented option. By contrast, only noradrenaline neurons were also (i) predictive of engagement in a subsequent trial following a failure to engage and (ii) more strongly activated in nonrepeated trials, when cues indicated a new task condition. This suggests that while both catecholaminergic neurons are involved in promoting action, noradrenergic neurons are sensitive to task state changes, and their influence on behavior extends beyond the immediately rewarded action.