Pharmacopsychiatry 2009; 42: S56-S65
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1124107
Original Paper

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Dopamine, Reinforcement Learning, and Addiction

P. Dayan 1
  • 1Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL, London, UK
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Publikationsverlauf

Publikationsdatum:
11. Mai 2009 (online)

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Abstract

Dopamine is intimately linked with the modes of action of drugs of addiction. However, although its role in the initiation of drug abuse seems relatively uncomplicated, its possible involvement in the development of compulsive drug taking, and indeed vulnerability and relapse, is less clear. We first describe a modern reinforcement learning view of affective control, focusing on the roles for dopamine. We then use this as a framework to sketch various notions of the neuromodulator's possible participation in initiation and compulsion. We end with some pointers towards future theoretical developments.

References

1 Note that this is equivalent to the first D(Sl) term in Eq. 4 of [91] (P1945).

Correspondence

P. Dayan

Gatsby Computational Neuroscience Unit, UCL

17 Queen Square

London WC1N 3AR

eMail: dayan@gatsby.ucl.ac.uk