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Midbrain dopamine neurons control judgment of time
Sofia Soares1, Bassam V Atallah2, Joseph J Paton2
1Champalimaud Research, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|December 13, 2016
Summary
Dopamine neurons in the midbrain directly influence our perception of time. Manipulating these dopamine neurons altered mice
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Chronobiology
Background:
- Subjective time perception varies with emotional and cognitive states.
- Midbrain dopamine neurons are hypothesized to play a role in time estimation.
- A direct causal link between dopamine neuron activity and temporal judgments remains unestablished.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal role of midbrain dopamine neurons in time perception.
- To determine if dopamine neuron activity encodes temporal information and influences time judgments.
Main Methods:
- Utilized pharmacogenetic techniques to manipulate dopamine neuron activity in mice.
- Measured behavioral sensitivity to time intervals during a duration judgment task.
- Recorded and analyzed dopamine neuron activity in relation to temporal estimates.
Main Results:
- Suppression of dopamine neurons reduced behavioral sensitivity to time durations.
- Dopamine neuron activity correlated with trial-to-trial variability in time estimates.
- Transient activation or inhibition of dopamine neurons directly altered the speed of time estimation.
Conclusions:
- Midbrain dopamine neuron activity is a critical component of time perception.
- Dopamine neurons not only reflect but also causally control the subjective experience of time.
- These findings provide direct evidence for the role of dopamine in temporal cognition.
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