Dopamine dynamics in human anterior cingulate cortex during Pavlovian-instrumental conflict
Dopamine is believed to modulate not only instrumental learning about the link between states, actions, and outcomes but also reflexive behaviours, such as a Pavlovian bias to approach in rewarding states and freeze in aversive ones. We studied these dual roles in the human brain, by combining intracranial dopamine recordings from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) - a region implicated in behavioural and cognitive control - with a motivational Go/NoGo task involving conflict between instrumental and Pavlovian action selection. We found evidence that dopamine in the ACC is involved in evaluating whether Pavlovian responding should guide behaviour. This computational motif was observed across multiple task events, including in response to rewards and punishments, and in analyses based on a reinforcement learning model. Our results indicate that dopamine supports learning at the more abstract level of behavioural policies in addition to the more concrete levels of states and actions.
Authors
- Azadeh Nazemorroaya
- Mark R. Witcher (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6877-2670)
- Itamar S. Grunfeld (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7237-136X)
- Seth R. Batten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8147-4301)
- Gene A. Brewer
- Robert W. Bina
- Terry Lohrenz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1581-0765)
- Dan Bang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7446-7090)
- Olivia Moreland
- Pearl H. Chiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8767-7406)
- Alexis Torres (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6554-6966)
- Xavier Celaya
- Samuel M. McClure
- Peter Dayan
- Chloe Lattuca
- Leonardo S. Barbosa
- P. Read Montague
- Ava Wagle
- Devin Nikjou
Institutions
- University of California, Riverside (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging (GB)
- Aarhus University (DK)
- Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix (US)
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics (DE)
- German Center for Infection Research (DE)
- Biomedical Research Institute (US)
- University College London (GB)
- Arizona State University (US)
- Carilion Clinic (US)
- University of Tübingen (DE)
- Virginia Tech (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
- Published
- 2026-04-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.02.716040
- Primary Topic
- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
- Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung
- Lundbeckfonden
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- H. Lundbeck A/S
- National Institute of Mental Health