Steve Didienne

Dopaminergic mechanisms of dynamical social specialization in mouse microsocieties

This study shows that dopaminergic activity in the ventral tegmental area shapes social roles and labor division in mouse triads through competitive and cooperative strategies.

Dopamine tracks adaptive learning of action representations

This study shows that dopamine signals in the nucleus accumbens reflect dynamic representation learning during adaptive decision-making in mice.

Individual variations in reward-seeking adaptability emerge among isogenic mice living in a micro-society and predict their response to nicotine

The paper studies individual differences in reward-seeking behavior among isogenic mice in a social environment and links these differences to nicotine response and dopaminergic adaptability.

Self-generation of goal-directed choices in a distributed dopaminergic andprefrontal circuit

The paper investigates how mice generate self-initiated goal-directed choices through interactions between the ventral tegmental area, prefrontal cortex, and orbitofrontal cortex.

Chronic nicotine increases midbrain dopamine neuron activity and biases individual strategies towards reduced exploration in a foraging task.

This study shows chronic nicotine exposure shifts decision-making strategies toward increased exploitation in a foraging task, with optogenetic manipulation of dopamine neurons replicating this effect.

Distinct dopamine circuits transmit the reinforcing and anxiogenic effects of nicotine

This study identifies distinct dopamine circuits in the ventral tegmental area that mediate nicotine's reinforcing and anxiogenic effects through opposing responses in neurons projecting to the nucleus accumbens and amygdala.

Mice adaptively generate choice variability in a deterministic task

This study shows mice generate choice variability in a deterministic task through memory-free, pseudo-random selection rather than learning complex sequences.

Social interactions impact on the dopaminergic system and drive individuality

The paper shows that social interactions shape individuality in mice by altering dopaminergic system adaptations and behavioral traits.

Acetylcholine-dependent phasic dopamine activity signals exploratory locomotion and choices

This study shows that phasic dopamine activity, modulated by acetylcholine receptors, predicts exploratory behavior and uncertainty-seeking in mice during decision-making tasks.