Cel Understanding how humans and other animals are able to learn from experience and use this information to select future behavioural strategies to obtain the reinforcers necessary for survival, is a fundamental research question in biology. Considerable progress has been made in recent years on the neural computational underpinnings of this process following the observation that the phasic activity of dopamine neurons in the midbrain resembles a prediction error from a formal computational theory known as reinforcement learning (RL). While much is known about the functions of dopamine in RL, much less is known about the computational functions of other modulatory neurotransmitter systems in the midbrain such as the cholinergic, norcpinephrine, and serotonergic systems. The goal of this research proposal to the ERC, is to begin a systematic study of the computational functions of these other neurotransmitter systems (beyond dopamine) in RL. To do this we will combine functional magnetic resonance imaging in human subjects while they perform simple decision making tasks and undergo pharmacological manipulations to modulate systemic levels of these different neurotransmitter systems. We will combine computational model-based analyses with fMRI and behavioural data in order to explore the effects that these pharmacological modulations exert on different parameters and modules within RL. Specifically, we will test the contributions that the cholinergic system makes in setting the learning rate during RL and in mediating computations of expected uncertainty in the distribution of rewards available, we will test for the role of norepinephrine in balancing the rate of exploration and exploitation during decision making, as well as in encoding the level of unexpected uncertainty, and we will explore the possible role of serotonin in setting the rate of temporal discounting for reward, or in encoding prediction errors during aversive as opposed to reward-learning. Dziedzina nauki natural sciencescomputer and information sciencesartificial intelligencemachine learningreinforcement learningengineering and technologymedical engineeringdiagnostic imagingmagnetic resonance imaging Program(-y) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Temat(-y) ERC-SG-LS5 - ERC Starting Grant - Neurosciences and neural disorders Zaproszenie do składania wniosków ERC-2009-StG Zobacz inne projekty w ramach tego zaproszenia System finansowania ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Instytucja przyjmująca THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN Wkład UE € 1 841 404,00 Adres COLLEGE GREEN TRINITY COLLEGE D02 CX56 DUBLIN 2 Irlandia Zobacz na mapie Region Ireland Eastern and Midland Dublin Rodzaj działalności Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Kierownik naukowy John O'doherty (Prof.) Kontakt administracyjny Deirdre Savage (Ms.) Linki Kontakt z organizacją Opens in new window Strona internetowa Opens in new window Koszt całkowity Brak danych Beneficjenci (1) Sortuj alfabetycznie Sortuj według wkładu UE Rozwiń wszystko Zwiń wszystko THE PROVOST, FELLOWS, FOUNDATION SCHOLARS & THE OTHER MEMBERS OF BOARD, OF THE COLLEGE OF THE HOLY & UNDIVIDED TRINITY OF QUEEN ELIZABETH NEAR DUBLIN Irlandia Wkład UE € 1 841 404,00 Adres COLLEGE GREEN TRINITY COLLEGE D02 CX56 DUBLIN 2 Zobacz na mapie Region Ireland Eastern and Midland Dublin Rodzaj działalności Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Kierownik naukowy John O'doherty (Prof.) Kontakt administracyjny Deirdre Savage (Ms.) Linki Kontakt z organizacją Opens in new window Strona internetowa Opens in new window Koszt całkowity Brak danych