Kate M. Wassum

The paper shows that the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) uses reward predictions to regulate how rewards are pursued, with cues signaling imminent reward suppressing instrumental seeking and cues signaling sparse reward invigorating it.

This study shows that dopamine projections from the ventral tegmental area to the basolateral amygdala support reward prediction and influence decision-making and learning in rats.

The paper investigates how dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens core is shaped by reward prediction and influences reward-pursuit strategies in rats.

This study shows the anterior cingulate cortex supports persistence toward certain and valuable rewards in both information and effort choices.

The paper tracks and manipulates striatal neuron activity during goal-directed learning and habit formation, finding D1+ neurons maintain stable action representations while A2A+ neurons show transient or slow reorganization.

This study identifies that dopamine projections from the ventral tegmental area to the basolateral amygdala are necessary and sufficient for encoding identity-specific reward memories in rats.

This study identifies a dual amygdala-striatal pathway architecture by which chronic stress disrupts agency and promotes habit formation in mice.

The paper shows dopamine neurons support intracranial self-stimulation (ICSS) only at supraphysiological frequencies, not reflecting their role in reinforcement learning.

This study investigates the role of the mOFC-BLA circuit in reward-related decision making in rats, finding distinct functions for bidirectional connections in processing reward cues and their desirability.

This paper identifies a bidirectional corticoamygdala circuit that encodes and retrieves detailed reward memories in rats, showing its role in adaptive decision making.

This study investigates the role of mesolimbic dopamine projections in cue-motivated reward seeking versus retrieval, finding that dopamine inhibition disrupts seeking but not retrieval.

The paper identifies distinct cortical-amygdala projections that separately encode and retrieve reward value, revealing a new circuit for reward valuation and pursuit.

This study shows that NAc cholinergic interneurons inhibit cue-motivated behavior in rats through acetylcholine release and nicotinic receptor activation.

This study shows that HDAC3 negatively regulates habit formation in the dorsal striatum, with distinct roles in the dorsolateral and dorsomedial striatum.