Neuromodulatory Systems
Neuromodulatory Systems
How do neuromodulators like dopamine and acetylcholine influence behavior and mental health?
Neuromodulators can reconfigure circuit operations; we are focusing on the cholinergic basal forebrain and midbrain dopamine systems. Our research explores the computations of neuromodulatory systems, focusing on the cholinergic basal forebrain and midbrain dopamine systems. Recent studies have expanded into the modularity of the midbrain dopamine system and its coordination with the cholinergic system.
We investigated how elevated dopamine levels contribute to high-confidence false perceptions, offering insights into the neural mechanisms underlying psychotic disorders. This work demonstrates dopamine’s causal role in hallucination-like perception (Schmack et al., 2021, Science).
Currently we are dissecting the functions of striatal region-specific roles of midbrain dopamine and probing the dopamine in the context of psychosis and Parkinson’s disease.
Selected Publications
A neuro-immune circuit mediates cancer cachexia-associated apathy
S. Starosta*, A. Zhu*, M. Ferrer Gonzales, J. Hou, Q. Chevy, F. Lucantonio, F. Zhang, R. Munoz-Castaneda, M. Bergstrom, M. Wulf, S. Evans, A. Siebels, A. Kravitz, P. Osten, T. Janowitz, M. Pignatelli* , A. Kepecs*. (2023)
Striatal dopamine mediates hallucination-like perception in mice
Schmack, K., M. Bosc, T. Ott, J. F. Sturgill, Kepecs A. Science (2021) Apr 2;372(6537):eabf4740
DOI
Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Signal Belief in Choice Accuracy during a Perceptual Decision
Lak, A., Nomoto, K., Keramati, M., Sakagami, M. & Kepecs A.. Current Biology (2017) Volume 27, Issue 6p821-832