Skip to main content

Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Ballard, IC; Murty, VP; Carter, RM; MacInnes, JJ; Huettel, SA; Adcock, RA
Published in: J Neurosci
July 13, 2011

How does the brain translate information signaling potential rewards into motivation to get them? Motivation to obtain reward is thought to depend on the midbrain [particularly the ventral tegmental area (VTA)], the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), but it is not clear how the interactions among these regions relate to reward-motivated behavior. To study the influence of motivation on these reward-responsive regions and on their interactions, we used dynamic causal modeling to analyze functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from humans performing a simple task designed to isolate reward anticipation. The use of fMRI permitted the simultaneous measurement of multiple brain regions while human participants anticipated and prepared for opportunities to obtain reward, thus allowing characterization of how information about reward changes physiology underlying motivational drive. Furthermore, we modeled the impact of external reward cues on causal relationships within this network, thus elaborating a link between physiology, connectivity, and motivation. Specifically, our results indicated that dlPFC was the exclusive entry point of information about reward in this network, and that anticipated reward availability caused VTA activation only via its effect on the dlPFC. Anticipated reward thus increased dlPFC activation directly, whereas it influenced VTA and NAcc only indirectly, by enhancing intrinsically weak or inactive pathways from the dlPFC. Our findings of a directional prefrontal influence on dopaminergic regions during reward anticipation suggest a model in which the dlPFC integrates and transmits representations of reward to the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopamine systems, thereby initiating motivated behavior.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Neurosci

DOI

EISSN

1529-2401

Publication Date

July 13, 2011

Volume

31

Issue

28

Start / End Page

10340 / 10346

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventral Tegmental Area
  • Reward
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Nucleus Accumbens
  • Neurons
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Neural Pathways
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Ballard, I. C., Murty, V. P., Carter, R. M., MacInnes, J. J., Huettel, S. A., & Adcock, R. A. (2011). Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior. J Neurosci, 31(28), 10340–10346. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0895-11.2011
Ballard, Ian C., Vishnu P. Murty, R McKell Carter, Jeffrey J. MacInnes, Scott A. Huettel, and R Alison Adcock. “Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior.J Neurosci 31, no. 28 (July 13, 2011): 10340–46. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0895-11.2011.
Ballard IC, Murty VP, Carter RM, MacInnes JJ, Huettel SA, Adcock RA. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior. J Neurosci. 2011 Jul 13;31(28):10340–6.
Ballard, Ian C., et al. “Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior.J Neurosci, vol. 31, no. 28, July 2011, pp. 10340–46. Pubmed, doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0895-11.2011.
Ballard IC, Murty VP, Carter RM, MacInnes JJ, Huettel SA, Adcock RA. Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex drives mesolimbic dopaminergic regions to initiate motivated behavior. J Neurosci. 2011 Jul 13;31(28):10340–10346.

Published In

J Neurosci

DOI

EISSN

1529-2401

Publication Date

July 13, 2011

Volume

31

Issue

28

Start / End Page

10340 / 10346

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Ventral Tegmental Area
  • Reward
  • Prefrontal Cortex
  • Nucleus Accumbens
  • Neurons
  • Neurology & Neurosurgery
  • Neural Pathways
  • Motivation
  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging