Dopamine neurons at the base of the brain are crucial for normal motor behaviour, and their loss leads to conditions such as Parkinsons disease. Yet the activity of dopamine neurons is not related to body movements, but to reward events. Recent theories suggest that dopamine neurons, as a homogeneous functional group, guide motor learning via reward-related signals. Now a study in monkeys undergoing Pavlovian conditioning to 'positive' and negative' stimuli shows that dopamine neurons are more heterogeneous than this model implies.
展开▼
