Dopamine Receptor-Specific Contributions to the Computation of Value

Neuropsychopharmacology. 2018 May;43(6):1415-1424. doi: 10.1038/npp.2017.302. Epub 2017 Dec 18.

Abstract

Dopamine is thought to play a crucial role in value-based decision making. However, the specific contributions of different dopamine receptor subtypes to the computation of subjective value remain unknown. Here we demonstrate how the balance between D1 and D2 dopamine receptor subtypes shapes subjective value computation during risky decision making. We administered the D2 receptor antagonist amisulpride or placebo before participants made choices between risky options. Compared with placebo, D2 receptor blockade resulted in more frequent choice of higher risk and higher expected value options. Using a novel model fitting procedure, we concurrently estimated the three parameters that define individual risk attitude according to an influential theoretical account of risky decision making (prospect theory). This analysis revealed that the observed reduction in risk aversion under amisulpride was driven by increased sensitivity to reward magnitude and decreased distortion of outcome probability, resulting in more linear value coding. Our data suggest that different components that govern individual risk attitude are under dopaminergic control, such that D2 receptor blockade facilitates risk taking and expected value processing.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial

MeSH terms

  • Amisulpride / pharmacology*
  • Bayes Theorem
  • Decision Making / drug effects*
  • Decision Making / physiology
  • Dopamine / metabolism
  • Dopamine Antagonists / pharmacology*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Humans
  • Models, Psychological
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2 / metabolism
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3 / metabolism
  • Reward
  • Risk-Taking*

Substances

  • DRD2 protein, human
  • DRD3 protein, human
  • Dopamine Antagonists
  • Receptors, Dopamine D2
  • Receptors, Dopamine D3
  • Amisulpride
  • Dopamine