Special Seminar: Cross-species Studies of Monoamine Contributions to Reward

About this Seminar

Studies in rodents and humans alike suggest that ascending neuromodulator systems, like the monoamines dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine, mediate multiple aspects of adaptive behavior and cognition.  However, studies designed to explicitly translate findings regarding the regulation of these systems between species remain rare, due in part to the historical absence of technologies available for measuring rapid changes in neurotransmitter release in the brain of conscious humans. In this talk, Dr. Howe will present his lab’s efforts to bridge this translational gap. First, he will present a series of studies utilizing the rodent model system to test hypotheses derived from recent human studies that highlight a complex and multi-faceted role for dopamine in food reward. Next, he will describe the lab’s contributions to further the development of an approach to measure fast fluctuations (<1 sec) dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine release concurrently in the brain of conscious humans. Finally, Dr. Howe will share recent findings utilizing this approach that suggest that rather than operating as discrete information channels, dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine release act in concert to control multiple reward-related processes. 

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