Dopamine dynamics in human anterior cingulate cortex during Pavlovian-instrumental conflict

Abstract

Dopamine is believed to modulate not only instrumental learning about the link between states, actions, and outcomes but also reflexive behaviours, such as a Pavlovian bias to approach in rewarding states and freeze in aversive ones. We studied these dual roles in the human brain, by combining intracranial dopamine recordings from the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)-- a region implicated in behavioural and cognitive control -- with a motivational Go/NoGo task involving conflict between instrumental and Pavlovian action selection. We found evidence that dopamine in the ACC is involved in evaluating whether Pavlovian responding should guide behaviour. This computational motif was observed across multiple task events, including in response to rewards and punishments, and in analyses based on a reinforcement learning model. Our results indicate that dopamine supports learning at the more abstract level of behavioural policies in addition to the more concrete levels of states and actions.