We are examining how reward experiences shape the activity
of the basal ganglia, and how the basal ganglia help us to choose our goals and
our very next actions.
Stamos, J., Ma, S., Pawlak, A., Engelhard, N.,
Horvitz, J.C., West, M.O. Reward vs. motoric activations in NAc Core of rats
during Pavlovian conditioning, European Journal of Neuroscience, in
press, 2022
Dobrovitsky, V., West, M.O. and Horvitz, J.C. The role of the nucleus
accumbens in learned approach behavior diminishes with training, European Journal of Neuroscience, 50: 3403-15, 2019
Vega-Villar, M., Horvitz, J.C., Nicola, S.M., NMDA receptor-dependent
plasticity in the nucleus accumbens connects reward-predictive cues to
approach responses, Nature Communications, 10: 4429, 2019
Note to prospective graduate students:
My current work involves theoretical models of basal ganglia function in
learning and action selection, rather than empirical studies. And so at
the moment my work with graduate students is limited to those with experience
in computer programming and an interest in compututational modeling of basal
ganglia function. Issues of interest include:
the role of cortico-thalamo-cortical (CTC) loops in sustaining activity
of cortical assemblies.
the role of direct and indirect basal ganglia pathways in 'permitting'
or 'vetoing' CTC activity.`
the role of dopamine reward signals in modifying the strength of
corticostriatal synapses.
the relation between reward-modified corticostriatal
synapses and action selection.