New vistas on the role of the rodent dopaminergic system in learning and memory

Computational and experimental studies of learning and memory have traditionally focused on the role of cognitive brain areas such as the cortex and hippocampus. This work has provided invaluable insights in the ways items are learned, stored and consolidated using a variety of neural mechanisms from molecular to network levels. Relatively little has however been done on understanding how and why some items are selected to be memorized while others are not. I will present a set of experimental results in the rodent showing that the dopaminergic neurons of the rodent ventral tegmental area are actively involved in the acquisition and consolidation of positively and negatively valued memories. The experiments will include optimal spatial navigation, memory reactivation and a rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder. This ongoing work suggests that neuromodulatory centers may have a much more active and selective role in learning and memory than previously thought.