Behavioral orienting but not novelty activates dopamine neurons
Kacper Kondrakiewicz, Xander Temmerman, Sofie Luijten, Len de Paep, Sebastian Haesler
The paper shows that dopamine neurons are activated by orienting behaviors, not novelty itself, and identifies the mediodorsal pons as a key input source for this activation.
bioRxiv · Dec 9, 2025 · PreprintNeuroscience