Tag

Reversal Learning

All articles tagged with #reversal learning

"Dopamine's Surprising Role in Reversal Learning Uncovered in New Study"

Originally Published 1 year ago — by PsyPost

A new study published in Nature Communications reveals that dopamine, often associated with pleasure and reward, also plays a crucial role in reversal learning and adapting to new situations. Using brain imaging techniques and a specially designed task, researchers found that dopamine release in the striatum increased when participants faced rule changes, signaling the need for strategy adjustments. This release correlated with better performance on the task, indicating dopamine's role in learning from errors and adapting decisions. The study's findings suggest that dopamine is not just a "feel good" chemical, but also influences decision-making and adaptability, with potential implications for understanding neurological and psychiatric disorders with abnormal dopamine signaling.

health neuroscience brain-chemistry decision-making dopamine neurological-disorders neuroscience reversal-learning

"MIT Scientists Discover Hidden Depths of Mouse Intelligence in Groundbreaking Lab Study"

Originally Published 2 years ago — by SciTechDaily

A study conducted by MIT researchers on mouse behavior in reward-based tasks has revealed that mice, despite being capable of learning the best strategy, often deviate from it, indicating a complex decision-making process. The findings, which utilized a new analysis tool called blockHMM, have potential implications for neurological research, particularly in understanding conditions such as schizophrenia and autism. The study highlights the importance of recognizing and quantifying the shifting strategies employed by mice in lab tasks, as it can impact the interpretation of neural activity and the underlying algorithms and mechanisms being studied. Further research will focus on identifying the brain regions and circuits involved in these decision-making processes and their potential clinical connections.

health science-and-technology decision-making hidden-markov-model mouse-behavior neurological-research reversal-learning science-and-technology