Dopamine modulation of prefrontal cortex activity is manifold and operates at multiple temporal and spatial scales

While the function of dopamine in subcortical structures is largely limited to reward and movement, dopamine neurotransmission in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is critical to a multitude of temporally and functionally diverse processes such as attention, working memory, behavioral flexibility, action selection, and stress adaptation. How does dopamine influence PFC computation of multiple temporally diverse functions? Here we find causation between sustained and burst patterns of phasic dopamine neuron activation and contemporaneous modulation of PFC neuronal activity at multiple spatio-temporal scales. These include a multidirectional and weak impact on individual PFC neuron rate activity and a robust influence on coordinated ensemble activity, gamma oscillations, and gamma-theta coupling that persisted for minutes. In addition, PFC network responses to burst pattern of dopamine firing were selectively strengthened in behaviorally active states. Thus, dopamine modulation of PFC is spatiotemporally diverse and is dictated by the pattern of dopamine neuron activation and behavioral state. These findings provide insight on the multiplex pattern of modulation by dopamine that may influence PFC computation of temporally diverse functions.