Medial orbitofrontal cortical regulation of different aspects of Pavlovian and instrumental reward seeking.

Rationale: The medial subregion of the orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) is thought to play an important role representing the expected outcome of a given course of action, as lesioning or inactivating this cortical region results in the adoption of choice strategies based more on observable (rather than previously learned) information. Despite this, its role in mediating basic associative learning remains to be fully clarified.

Objective: The present series of experiments examined the role of the mOFC in (1) Pavlovian conditioned approach, (2) conditioned reinforcement, (3) extinction, and (4) cue-induced reinstatement of food-seeking behavior.

Distinct Medial Orbitofrontal-Striatal Circuits Support Dissociable Component Processes of Risk/Reward Decision-Making.

The medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) regulates a variety of cognitive functions, including refining action selection involving reward uncertainty. This region sends projections to numerous subcortical targets, including the ventral and dorsal striatum, yet how these corticostriatal circuits differentially regulate risk/reward decision-making is unknown. The present study examined the contribution of mOFC circuits linking the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and dorsomedial striatum (DMS) to risk/reward decision-making using pharmacological disconnections.

Medial orbitofrontal cortex dopamine D/D receptors differentially modulate distinct forms of probabilistic decision-making.

Efficient decision-making involves weighing the costs and benefits associated with different actions and outcomes to maximize long-term utility. The medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) has been implicated in guiding choice in situations involving reward uncertainty, as inactivation in rats alters choice involving probabilistic rewards. The mOFC receives considerable dopaminergic input, yet how dopamine (DA) modulates mOFC function has been virtually unexplored.

Prefrontal Dopamine D and D Receptors Regulate Dissociable Aspects of Decision Making via Distinct Ventral Striatal and Amygdalar Circuits.

Mesocortical dopamine (DA) regulates a variety of cognitive functions via actions on D and/or D receptors. For example, risk/reward decision making is modulated differentially by these two receptors within the prefrontal cortex (PFC), with D receptors enabling flexible decision making and D receptors promoting persistence in choice biases. However, it is unclear how DA mediates opposing patterns of behavior by acting on different receptors within the same terminal region.

Modulation of risk/reward decision making by dopaminergic transmission within the basolateral amygdala.

Rationale: Dopamine (DA) transmission within cortico-limbic-striatal circuitry is integral in modulating decisions involving reward uncertainty. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) also plays a role in these processes, yet how DA transmission within this nucleus regulates cost/benefit decision making is unknown.

Objectives: We investigated the contribution of DA transmission within the BLA to risk/reward decision making assessed with a probabilistic discounting task.