Fig. 4: TS dopamine release reinforces state–action associations.
From: Dopaminergic action prediction errors serve as a value-free teaching signal
a, Experimental approach. Slc6a3 encodes the dopamine transporter (DAT). b, Stimulation protocol. c, Average performance (mean) of mice. Left hemisphere n = 6 mice, right hemisphere n = 7 mice. Pre-stimulation data are pooled across all 13 recording sessions (n = 7 mice, 13 hemispheres). Error bars represent s.d. d, Distribution of session biases for the TS (4 mW n = 10 mice, n = 15 hemispheres, 8 mW n = 7 mice, n = 13 hemispheres) and the VS (4 mW n = 8 mice, n = 11 hemispheres, 8 mW n = 5 mice, n = 8 hemispheres) stimulations of the state–action experiment. TS: 4 mW P = 0.018, Cohen’s d = 1.46; 8 mW P < 0.001, Cohen’s d = 2.07. VS: 4 mW P = 0.57, Cohen’s d = −0.19; 8 mW P = 0.742, Cohen’s d = 0.19; Wilcoxon signed-rank test relative to zero (two-sided). e, Stimulation protocol. f, Same as d for the state–outcome TS-stimulation experiment (TS: 4 mW n = 10 mice, 8 mW n = 6 mice; TS: 4 mW P = 0.625, Cohen’s d = 0.40; 8 mW, P = 0.909, Cohen’s d = 0.05; VS: 4 mW P = 0.84, Cohen’s d = −0.21; 8 mW P = 0.461, Cohen’s d = 0.27; Wilcoxon signed-rank test relative to zero (two-sided)). g, Experimental approach. h, Average change in the bias for trials preceded by small or large dopamine choice movement responses (DA) in TS (n = 4, mice), error bars represent 68% confidence interval. i, Regression coefficients from a logistic regression (n = 4 mice) (log uncertainty: P = 0.006, Cohen’s d = 3.31; dopamine: P = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 2.01; one-sample t-test against zero, two-sided t-test). Filled circles represent significant correlations. Error bars represent s.d. j, As h but for VS dopamine responses (n = 5 mice). Error bars represent 68% confidence interval. k, As i but for VS dopamine at time of choice. n = 5 mice. log uncertainty: P = 0.03, Cohen’s d = 1.44; dopamine (at time of cue): P = 0.29, Cohen’s d = −0.54; one-sample t-test against zero, two-sided t-test. Error bars represent s.d. l, Example trajectories with smallest or largest Fréchet distances. m, Regression coefficients. Filled circles represent significant correlations for individual mice (n = 6 mice). One-sample t-test against zero, P = 0.03, Cohen’s d = −1.24. Error bars represent 95% confidence interval. In box plots, boxes represent quartiles 2 and 3, the centre line shows the median and whiskers extend to the furthest data point within 1.5 times the inter-quartile range from the box.
