Dopamine plays an unexpected role in Memory Devaluation, Research Reveals

Dopamine plays an unexpected role in Memory Devaluation, Research Reveals


Medived Development of Sucrose Reward Via Activity-Dependent Labeling and Chemognetic Activation of Ventral Tegmental Area Cells. Credit: Communications Biology (2025). Doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-07440-7

New Research out of Michigan State University Expands The study, Published in the journey Communications BiologyOpenes new avenues for undersrstanding dopamine’s role in the brain.

The research team discovered that Dopamine is involved in Reshaping Memories of Past Rewarding Events – AN UNEXPECTED Function that Challenges Established theories of Dopamine Function.

“We discovered that dopamine plays a role in modifing how a reward-Related memory is perceived over time,” said Alexander Johnson, Associate Professor in MSU’s Depart of Psychology and Lead Researcher of the study.

In the study, Mice Were presented with an Auditory Cue that Had Previously Been Associated with a Sweet-Tasting Food. This LED to the Retrieval of the Memory Associated with Consuming the Food. At this time, Mice we was made to feel temporarily unwell, similer to how you feel if you’ve eaten something that has upset your stomach.

When the Mice Had Fully Recovered, Thei Displayed Behavior as if the Sweet-Tasting Food Had Made Them Unwell. This Occurred Despite The Fact that when Mice was made to feel unwell, they have only retrieved the memory of the food, not the food itself. This initial finding sugges that devaluing the memory of food is sufficient to disrupt future eating of that food.

The Research Team Next Turned Their Attention to the Brain Mechanisms that could be controlling this phenomenon. Using an approach by which they could Label and Reactivate Brain Cells That When The Food Memory was retrieved, The Researchers Identated that Cells Producing The Chemical Dopamical Dopamical Dopamical Dopamical Dopamic Particularly Important Role. This was confirmed through actions that manipulated and recorded dopamine neuron activity during the exercise.

“Our findings were surprising, based on our prior undersrstanding of dopamine’s function. Study Showed, “Johnson explained. “It’s a violation of what we expected, revaling that dopamine’s role is more complex than previously thought.”

The team also used computational modeling and ware able to capture how dopamine signs

“Understanding Dopamine’s Broader Functions in the Brain Blad Provide New Insights Into How We Approach Conditions Like Addiction, Depression and Other Neuropsychiatric disorders,” Said Johnson. “Since Dopamine is implicated in so many aspects of brain function, these insights have wide-ringing implications. And, as such, diminish their capacity to control unwanted behaviors. “

More information:
Benjamin R. Fry et al, Developing Memories of Reward: a case for Dopamine, Communications Biology (2025). Doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-07440-7

Provided by Michigan State University


Citation: Dopamine Plays an Unexpected Role in Memory Developation, Research Reveals (2025, March 12) Retrieved 12 March 2025 from

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