Abstract
Human habenula studies are gradually advancing, primarily through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analysis of passive (Pavlovian) conditioning tasks as well as probabilistic reinforcement learning tasks. However, no studies have particularly targeted aversive prediction errors, despite the essential importance for the habenula in the field. Complicated learned strategies including contextual contents are involved in making aversive prediction errors during the learning process. Therefore, we examined habenula activation during a contextual learning task. We performed fMRI on a group of 19 healthy controls. We assessed the manually traced habenula during negative outcomes during the contextual learning task. The Beck Depression Inventory-Second Edition (BDI-II), the State-Trait-Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) were also administered. The left and right habenula were activated during aversive outcomes and the activation was associated with aversive prediction errors. There was also a positive correlation between TCI reward dependence scores and habenula activation. Furthermore, dynamic causal modeling (DCM) analyses demonstrated the left and right habenula to the left and right hippocampus connections during the presentation of contextual stimuli. These findings serve to highlight the neural mechanisms that may be relevant to understanding the broader relationship between the habenula and learning processes.
Highlights
The habenula is an epithalamic nucleus situated between the dorsal posterior thalamus and the third ventricle near the posterior commissure (Hikosaka, 2010)
The results indicated that the model with connections from the hippocampus to habenula was the best model that explained the data in the competing models (Figures 5B, 6)
These results indicated that the habenula and hippocampus are closely connected during the processing associated with contextual conditioning
Summary
The habenula is an epithalamic nucleus situated between the dorsal posterior thalamus and the third ventricle near the posterior commissure (Hikosaka, 2010). Habenula Activation in Contextual Learning Task facilitate flexible responding and choice-making under various conditions (Hikosaka, 2010) through the inputs from regions such as the lateral hypothalamus, globus pallidus, and medial prefrontal cortex, and outputs to structures such as the dopaminergic ventral tegmental area (VTA), substantia nigra (SN), and serotonergic raphe nuclei, which inhibit dopamine and serotonin neurons (Matsumoto and Hikosaka, 2009; Proulx et al, 2014). The habenula enables experienced aversive sensory and internal states in terms of negative motivation and emotions to trigger a switch in behavioral actions (Hikosaka, 2010), avoidance via inhibition of the reward signaling midbrain dopamine system. The relationship between human habenula functioning and these various emotional and behavioral outcomes remains unclear
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
