Reward and Motivation Flashcards
(18 cards)
What is the role of the ventral tegmental area?
assigning priority, motivation to seek out opportunity or evade threat
How does the hippocampus play a role in motivation?
It helps us weigh how we perceive thing based on past memories (espidodically and spatially)
What is the prediction signal?
dopamine
What happens when there is positive prediction error?
increase in dopamine
What happens when there is negative prediction error?
drop in dopamine
what happens if the stimulus keeps being presented over and over?
release of dopamine begins to decrease based on stimulus since it is no longer a suprise, however, surge in dopamine will probably occur with neutral stimulus
What are examples of neuropeptides of opioids and what do they cause?
- endomorphines, enkephalins, dynorphins, beta-endorphin
- analgesic and euphoric effects
Opioids
What receptors are associated with analgesic and euphoric effects?
Mu and delta
what tool measures the real time of the amount of dopamine being released?
microdialysis (invasive)
- probe into nucleus of interest
What is the principe underlying Magnetic Resonance SPectroscopy (MRS)?
- measuring difference in proton resonance
what are advantages and disadvanatges of MRS?
advantage - noninvasive
disadvantage - poor spatial resolution
What drug works as an antoagonist for opioids?
Naltrexone; binds at the same spot and can be used to treat alcohol dependence
How does opioids play a role in motivation and reward?
Neuropeptides that bind to opioid receptors are naturally produced by the body when there is pleasurable experience (like seeing a donut), however synthetic opioids can cause a surge of dopamine that result its addictive properties
How does leptin play a role in satiety?
Leptin is released from adipose tissue into the blood and acts on the hypothalamus to induce satiety.
What happens when someone is leptin-deficient?
They no longer have the cue to stop eating and will continue to eat –> obese
What brain region is associated with satiety and hunger?
satiety - PVN
hunger - LH
What is the principle of fast-scan voltammetry?
There is a stereotactive electrode implanted in desired nucleus –> apply voltage –> voltage moves up and down sweeping)
ex: causes switches between dopamine and dopamine-o-quinone
what is a limitation of fast-scane cyclic voltammetry?
electrodes are prone to fouling, lots of background noise and is diificult to analyze (technical limitations)
