Session
Session 1
Board Number
42
Dopamine and Astrocytes role in Modulating Reinforcement Learning
Astrocytes have been found to respond to neuronal dopamine release, and they are required for dopamine-evoked synaptic regulation in the NAc . However, a big open question is the modulatory role of NAc astrocytes in goal-directed behavior. NAc is part of the neural circuit that controls reward-seeking in response to reward-predictive cues, and dopamine release in the NAc is essential for the normal functioning of this circuit. This research seeks to address this gap of knowledge by analyzing the role of dopamine and NAc astrocytes in the modulation of RL as a behavioral paradigm for goal-directed actions.