Dopamine and Learning – Johnson Lab

2022-09-23: Variables influencing conditioning-evoked hallucinations: overview and future applications

In: Psychological Medicine PMID: 36138518 DOI: 10.1017/S0033291722002100 Abstract: Hallucinations occur in the absence of sensory stimulation and result in vivid perceptual experiences of nonexistent events that manifest across a range of sensory modalities. Approaches from the field of experimental and …
2021-04-29: Disruptions in effort-based decision-making following acute optogenetic stimulation of ventral tegmental area dopamine cells

In: Learning & Memory PMID: 33723029 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053082.120 Abstract: The dopamine system has been implicated in decision-making particularly when associated with effortful behavior. We examined acute optogenetic stimulation of dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) as mice engaged in …
2019-05-31: Assessing Reality Testing in Mice Through Dopamine-Dependent Associatively Evoked Processing of Absent Gustatory Stimuli

In: Schizophrenia Bulletin PMID: 31150554 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbz043 Abstract: Impairments in reality testing are core features of numerous neuropsychiatric conditions. However, relatively few animal models have been developed to assess this critical facet of neuropsychiatric illness, thus impeding our understanding of …
2016-10-27: Disruptions in effort-based decision-making and consummatory behavior following antagonism of the dopamine D2 receptor

In: Behavioural Brain Research PMID: 27984049 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.10.043 Abstract: Dopamine is known to influence motivational processes, however the precise role of this neurotransmitter remains a contentious issue. In the current study we sought to further characterize dopamine signaling in reward-based …