Dopamine ramps for accurate value learning under uncertainty

Abstract

Dopamine signals ramping towards reward timings have become widely reported, but their functions remain elusive. Through modeling analyses and experiments in mice, a recent study by Mikhael, Kim et al. shows that such signals represent reward prediction errors used for accurate value learning in conditions with uncertainty about upcoming state and its resolution by sensory feedback.

Keywords: acetylcholine; forgetting; reinforcement learning; reward prediction error; time perception.