Dopaminergic reorganisation of cross-region neural communication

Midbrain dopamine (DA) neurons are thought to provide a teaching signal indicating the difference between the reward obtained and the expected at any given moment. This signal allows us to adjust expectations and learn through trial and error. Despite its clear behavioral role, how this signal is broadcast to the rest of the brain to physically implement these behavioral effects is an open question. We hypothesise that DA behavioral effects are mediated by modulating the communication strength between neurons containing reward-related information. To test this, we will perform large scale recordings of neural activity and behavioral analyses combined with dopamine manipulations in mice performing a simple decision-making task. These experiments will help explain if and how DA modulates information transfer across brain regions to mediate DA behavioral roles, providing a needed link between our understanding of DA at the cellular, network and behavioral level.