Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Expected Value01:15

Expected Value

7.1K
The expected value is known as the "long-term" average or mean. This means that over the long term of experimenting over and over, you would expect this average. The expected average is represented by the symbol μ. It is calculated as follows:
7.1K
Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters01:29

Excitatory and Inhibitory Effects of Neurotransmitters

12.4K
When an action potential reaches the presynaptic axon terminal, it releases neurotransmitters from the neuron into the synaptic cleft at a chemical synapse. The released neurotransmitter can be excitatory or inhibitory. The critical criteria commonly used to determine whether a molecule is a neurotransmitter at a chemical synapse are the molecule's presence in the presynaptic neuron. Second, its release is in response to strong presynaptic depolarization. And lastly, the presence of...
12.4K
Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

2.1K
Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase,...
2.1K
Long-term Potentiation01:35

Long-term Potentiation

58.1K
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre- and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
58.1K
Long-term Potentiation01:25

Long-term Potentiation

3.3K
Long-term potentiation, or LTP, is one of the ways by which synaptic plasticity—changes in the strength of chemical synapses—can occur in the brain. LTP is the process of synaptic strengthening that occurs over time between pre and postsynaptic neuronal connections. The synaptic strengthening of LTP works in opposition to the synaptic weakening of long-term depression (LTD) and together are the main mechanisms that underlie learning and memory.
Hebbian LTP
LTP can occur when...
3.3K
Role of Neurotransmitters in Memory01:23

Role of Neurotransmitters in Memory

2.3K
Neurotransmitters are integral to the brain's communication system, enabling neurons to transmit signals across synapses. This chemical exchange underpins various cognitive functions, including memory processes. The role of neurotransmitters in memory is multifaceted, influencing the encoding, consolidation, and retrieval of memories through their action on different neural circuits.
 Glutamate and Synaptic Plasticity
Glutamate, the brain's main excitatory neurotransmitter, is...
2.3K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Rapid dynamics of dorsal raphe serotonin neurons regulate the strength of visual attention.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

Methyl-CpG binding domain 2 (Mbd2) is an epigenetic regulator of autism-risk genes and cognition.

Translational psychiatry·2023
Same author

All-optical approaches to studying psychiatric disease.

Methods (San Diego, Calif.)·2021
Same author

Lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) promotes social behavior through mTORC1 in the excitatory neurotransmission.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2021
Same author

Off-Target Influences of Arch-Mediated Axon Terminal Inhibition on Network Activity and Behavior.

Frontiers in neural circuits·2020
Same author

Nucleus Accumbens Cell Type- and Input-Specific Suppression of Unproductive Reward Seeking.

Cell reports·2020
Same journal

Structural proteomics reveals that misfolded nascent proteins expose buried lysines for ubiquitination and rapid proteasomal degradation.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

Physical interactions within the SIR heterochromatin complex potentiate inter-subunit communication and gene repression.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

An IGF2BP3-dependent metabolic circuit governs macrophage recruitment and immunosuppression in glioblastoma.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

A cold-induced GDF15-secreting adipocyte subpopulation regulates energy homeostasis through endocrine signaling.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

RelB drives integrin-mediated stress tolerance and relapse in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

Yeast β-glucan supplementation supports immunometabolic anti-tumor responses and reverses obesity-induced dysfunction via trained hematopoiesis.

Cell reports·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 4, 2026

In Vivo Optical Calcium Imaging of Learning-Induced Synaptic Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster
06:35

In Vivo Optical Calcium Imaging of Learning-Induced Synaptic Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: October 8, 2019

9.6K

Cue-Evoked Dopamine Neuron Activity Helps Maintain but Does Not Encode Expected Value.

Jesse A Mendoza1, Christopher K Lafferty1, Angela K Yang2

  • 1Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada; Center for Studies in Behavioral Neurobiology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC H4B 1R6, Canada.

Cell Reports
|November 7, 2019
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Midbrain dopamine neuron activity aids cue-value learning but doesn't encode expected reward value. Manipulating dopamine signaling during forced trials impacted subsequent choices, suggesting a role in maintaining associations rather than setting reward benchmarks.

Keywords:
calcium imagingdopamineexpected valuemotivationoptogeneticsoverexpectationreinforcement learningreward prediction errorventral tegmental area

More Related Videos

In Vivo Imaging of Neural Activity in Unanesthetized Drosophila Adult Flies
09:15

In Vivo Imaging of Neural Activity in Unanesthetized Drosophila Adult Flies

Published on: June 20, 2025

880
Using Optogenetics to Reverse Neuroplasticity and Inhibit Cocaine Seeking in Rats
09:43

Using Optogenetics to Reverse Neuroplasticity and Inhibit Cocaine Seeking in Rats

Published on: October 5, 2021

2.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 4, 2026

In Vivo Optical Calcium Imaging of Learning-Induced Synaptic Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster
06:35

In Vivo Optical Calcium Imaging of Learning-Induced Synaptic Plasticity in Drosophila melanogaster

Published on: October 8, 2019

9.6K
In Vivo Imaging of Neural Activity in Unanesthetized Drosophila Adult Flies
09:15

In Vivo Imaging of Neural Activity in Unanesthetized Drosophila Adult Flies

Published on: June 20, 2025

880
Using Optogenetics to Reverse Neuroplasticity and Inhibit Cocaine Seeking in Rats
09:43

Using Optogenetics to Reverse Neuroplasticity and Inhibit Cocaine Seeking in Rats

Published on: October 5, 2021

2.9K

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Science
  • Dopamine Signaling

Background:

  • Midbrain dopamine (DA) neuron activity is linked to reward expectation.
  • The precise role of DA neuron activity in reward assessment and learning remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if manipulating cue- or operant-associated dopamine neuron activity influences learning based on reward expectation.
  • To determine if dopamine signaling encodes expected value for reward assessment.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized optogenetic techniques to bidirectionally manipulate dopamine neuron activity in mice during a trial-based operant task.
  • Assessed changes in lever biases during choice trials following manipulations in forced trials, without photomanipulation.

Main Results:

  • Bidirectional augmentation of cue- or operant-associated DA signaling did not significantly alter choice behavior.
  • Blunting DA signaling during forced trials reduced subsequent choice trial responses on the associated lever.
  • Lever biases proved flexible and sensitive to expected value changes.

Conclusions:

  • Cue-evoked dopamine signaling appears crucial for maintaining cue-value associations.
  • Dopamine neuron activity does not seem to encode expected value as a benchmark for reward judgment.
  • Findings suggest a role for dopamine in associative learning rather than in setting reward valuation standards.