🧠💸 Launching the RewardSignals feed
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
November 15, 2025 at 8:02 PM
🧠💸 Launching the RewardSignals feed
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
RewardSignals is a custom feed collecting posts about reward processing and decision making.
To appear in the feed, tag your post with #RewardSignals.
You can find and pin the feed from the Feeds tab as “RewardSignals”.
#RewardSignals
New study out today in Nature Comms: www.nature.com/articles/s41..., in which we set out to test whether ultrasound could influence the reward-related learning computations of the nucleus accumbens, building on decades of work on dopaminergic prediction error and reinforcement learning. And it did.
Non-invasive ultrasonic neuromodulation of the human nucleus accumbens impacts reward sensitivity - Nature Communications
This study shows that non-invasive ultrasound to the human nucleus accumbens can modulate deep brain activity and enhance reward-guided learning, offering a potential alternative to invasive neuromodu...
www.nature.com
November 29, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Anxiety Selectively Impairs Reward Learning Under Uncertainty, While N3 Sleep Recalibrates It https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.01.696994v1
January 3, 2026 at 2:15 AM
this paper is mind (and maybe gut) blowing!
Congrats to the team @nbkroemer.bsky.social
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Congrats to the team @nbkroemer.bsky.social
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Your stomach called – your striatum picked up!
But does this actually happen in humans?
Using simultaneous dopamine PET/fMRI, we show that the gut hormone ghrelin helps the brain adjust motivation to current metabolic need.
Here’s what we found👇
Preprint: shorturl.at/pq4A3
#neuroskyence #🩺
But does this actually happen in humans?
Using simultaneous dopamine PET/fMRI, we show that the gut hormone ghrelin helps the brain adjust motivation to current metabolic need.
Here’s what we found👇
Preprint: shorturl.at/pq4A3
#neuroskyence #🩺
December 11, 2025 at 7:02 PM
this paper is mind (and maybe gut) blowing!
Congrats to the team @nbkroemer.bsky.social
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Congrats to the team @nbkroemer.bsky.social
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Chronic semaglutide treatment shows differential effects on incentive motivation and consummatory responses to food
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Chronic semaglutide treatment enhances the incentive motivational value of a small food reward and associated cue in male and female rats https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.06.692775v1
December 10, 2025 at 5:32 PM
Chronic semaglutide treatment shows differential effects on incentive motivation and consummatory responses to food
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 AM
NMDA receptor ablation in medial prefrontal cortex disrupts value updating and reward history integration https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.06.692679v1
December 10, 2025 at 11:04 PM
very excited to share some of the final bits of work from my PhD! 🎉 we find that phasic DA in the accumbens simultaneously tracks persistent motivation towards reward cues in addition to new learning (but maybe not RPE?!) in sign-tracking rats. check out the preprint below!
Phasic dopamine encodes persistent attraction to reward cues https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2025.12.09.693300v1
December 13, 2025 at 11:36 AM
tagging some people who might want to follow #RewardSignals
@vanessabrown.bsky.social @akpoorni.bsky.social @mattmattoni.bsky.social @dvsmith.bsky.social @kimberlychiew.bsky.social @drjocutler.bsky.social @brainapps.bsky.social @dr-stan.bsky.social @iancballard.bsky.social
@vanessabrown.bsky.social @akpoorni.bsky.social @mattmattoni.bsky.social @dvsmith.bsky.social @kimberlychiew.bsky.social @drjocutler.bsky.social @brainapps.bsky.social @dr-stan.bsky.social @iancballard.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 12:40 AM
🚨🚨New paper day!🚨🚨
Wonderful work from the longitudinal arm of our cannabis-users study showing how brain reward-system function changes over 12 months in regular users. 🧵⬇️ #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Wonderful work from the longitudinal arm of our cannabis-users study showing how brain reward-system function changes over 12 months in regular users. 🧵⬇️ #neuroskyence
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
The association between cannabis use and brain reward anticipation: a 12-month longitudinal study of adults and adolescents who use cannabis and age-matched controls - Neuropsychopharmacology
Neuropsychopharmacology - The association between cannabis use and brain reward anticipation: a 12-month longitudinal study of adults and adolescents who use cannabis and age-matched controls
www.nature.com
March 5, 2026 at 10:14 PM
Dorsal striatal dopamine integrates sensory and reward prediction errors to guide perceptual decisions https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.01.01.696999v1
January 3, 2026 at 2:16 AM
Sign-trackers vs goal-trackers, not just in rats. 🐀 → 🧑
Across 5 fMRI cohorts (N=1,251), two reproducible human reward phenotypes emerge (ST-like & GT-like). D2/D3 antagonists (risperidone, haloperidol, amisulpride) selectively blunt anticipatory BOLD in ST-like.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Across 5 fMRI cohorts (N=1,251), two reproducible human reward phenotypes emerge (ST-like & GT-like). D2/D3 antagonists (risperidone, haloperidol, amisulpride) selectively blunt anticipatory BOLD in ST-like.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Reproducible Human Reward Imaging Phenotypes Exhibit Differential Sensitivity to Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonism https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.14.724267v1
May 17, 2026 at 9:46 AM
Sign-trackers vs goal-trackers, not just in rats. 🐀 → 🧑
Across 5 fMRI cohorts (N=1,251), two reproducible human reward phenotypes emerge (ST-like & GT-like). D2/D3 antagonists (risperidone, haloperidol, amisulpride) selectively blunt anticipatory BOLD in ST-like.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Across 5 fMRI cohorts (N=1,251), two reproducible human reward phenotypes emerge (ST-like & GT-like). D2/D3 antagonists (risperidone, haloperidol, amisulpride) selectively blunt anticipatory BOLD in ST-like.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
This goes on the very top on my reading list 🔥
#RewardSignals
#RewardSignals
🚨Happy to share a new preprint from Lerner Lab led by graduate student @nadelneurosci.bsky.social! 🚨
“Adolescent stress recruits a latent amygdala-dopamine circuit to drive punishment-resistant reward-seeking”
This has been a wholly impressive effort by Jacob; summary below 👇
#neuroskyence🧪
“Adolescent stress recruits a latent amygdala-dopamine circuit to drive punishment-resistant reward-seeking”
This has been a wholly impressive effort by Jacob; summary below 👇
#neuroskyence🧪
Adolescent stress recruits a latent amygdala-dopamine circuit to drive punishment-resistant reward-seeking https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.07.29.741478v1
August 6, 2026 at 2:26 PM
This goes on the very top on my reading list 🔥
#RewardSignals
#RewardSignals
Hunger increases exploration and risk-taking behavior, allowing an animal to forage for food despite risks
Hunger-induced changes in exploration result from the modulation of dopamine signaling in the tail of the striatum via the following circuit:
1/2
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
Hunger-induced changes in exploration result from the modulation of dopamine signaling in the tail of the striatum via the following circuit:
1/2
www.cell.com/neuron/fullt...
December 5, 2025 at 10:09 PM
New study challenges the idea of a unified decision network: Neuropixel recordings in primate OFC showed robust encoding during value-based choices but near-silence during perceptual decisions, even when rewards are at stake. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Selective engagement of the primate orbitofrontal cortex during value-based but not perceptual decisions
A fundamental question in neuroscience is whether the brain uses specialized sub-systems for different types of decisions or relies on a unified decision-making network. The orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)...
www.biorxiv.org
December 12, 2025 at 9:12 PM
New study challenges the idea of a unified decision network: Neuropixel recordings in primate OFC showed robust encoding during value-based choices but near-silence during perceptual decisions, even when rewards are at stake. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Our paper is now published in @natcomms.nature.com! We identified reproducible human reward-processing phenotypes analogous to sign- and goal-trackers and tested their sensitivity to dopamine D₂ modulation. 🧵 1/4
#neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #RewardSignals
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #RewardSignals
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
Reproducible human reward imaging phenotypes exhibit differential sensitivity to dopamine D2 receptor antagonism - Nature Communications
Brain imaging across more than 1,200 people identifies two reproducible reward profiles, one tuned to cues and one to outcomes. The two profiles respond in opposite ways to dopamine-blocking drugs, an...
doi.org
September 6, 2026 at 3:32 PM
Our paper is now published in @natcomms.nature.com! We identified reproducible human reward-processing phenotypes analogous to sign- and goal-trackers and tested their sensitivity to dopamine D₂ modulation. 🧵 1/4
#neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #RewardSignals
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
#neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #RewardSignals
doi.org/10.1038/s414...
1/3
New preprint by Ballard et al. on using resting-state hemodynamic latency as an indirect marker of dopamine physiology:
“Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology” (bioRxiv, 2025)
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neurosky #neuroskyence
New preprint by Ballard et al. on using resting-state hemodynamic latency as an indirect marker of dopamine physiology:
“Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology” (bioRxiv, 2025)
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neurosky #neuroskyence
Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology
Spatial variations in dopamine function are linked to cognition and substance use disorders but are challenging to characterize with current methods. Because dopamine influences blood vessel dilation,...
doi.org
November 16, 2025 at 10:21 PM
1/3
New preprint by Ballard et al. on using resting-state hemodynamic latency as an indirect marker of dopamine physiology:
“Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology” (bioRxiv, 2025)
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neurosky #neuroskyence
New preprint by Ballard et al. on using resting-state hemodynamic latency as an indirect marker of dopamine physiology:
“Temporal fMRI Dynamics Map Dopamine Physiology” (bioRxiv, 2025)
🔗 doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neurosky #neuroskyence
Despite massive interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists, systematic evidence on their effects on human brain reactivity to reward-related cues is remarkably thin: only 11 fMRI studies, mostly underpowered, with inconsistent findings. Our new review 👇
#RewardSignals #NeuroSkyence
doi.org/10.64898/202...
#RewardSignals #NeuroSkyence
doi.org/10.64898/202...
doi.org
May 11, 2026 at 12:09 PM
Despite massive interest in GLP-1 receptor agonists, systematic evidence on their effects on human brain reactivity to reward-related cues is remarkably thin: only 11 fMRI studies, mostly underpowered, with inconsistent findings. Our new review 👇
#RewardSignals #NeuroSkyence
doi.org/10.64898/202...
#RewardSignals #NeuroSkyence
doi.org/10.64898/202...
1/3 How reward prediction errors shape memory: when people gamble and cues signal unexpectedly high reward probability, those incidental images are remembered better than ones on safe trials, linking RL computations to episodic encoding. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Positive reward prediction errors during decision-making strengthen memory encoding - Nature Human Behaviour
Jang and colleagues show that positive reward prediction errors elicited during incidental encoding enhance the formation of episodic memories.
www.nature.com
November 30, 2025 at 11:12 AM
1/3 How reward prediction errors shape memory: when people gamble and cues signal unexpectedly high reward probability, those incidental images are remembered better than ones on safe trials, linking RL computations to episodic encoding. #RewardSignals #neuroskyence www.nature.com/articles/s41...
After years following @flagel-lab.bsky.social 's work on sign-trackers and goal-trackers in rodents, we asked: can we find this dissociation in the human brain? And does ST depend on dopamine, like in rodents? Preprint out, 5 cohorts, N=1,251. 🧵
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #Science
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #Science
Reproducible Human Reward Imaging Phenotypes Exhibit Differential Sensitivity to Dopamine D2 Receptor Antagonism https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.05.14.724267v1
May 20, 2026 at 3:25 PM
After years following @flagel-lab.bsky.social 's work on sign-trackers and goal-trackers in rodents, we asked: can we find this dissociation in the human brain? And does ST depend on dopamine, like in rodents? Preprint out, 5 cohorts, N=1,251. 🧵
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #Science
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence #Neuroimaging #Science
1/4 New preprint! We systematically reviewed fMRI studies on how GLP-1 receptor agonists affect brain responses to reward-related cues. Only 11 studies exist, and the findings are more complex than headlines suggest. Thread 👇 #RewardSignals #Neuroskyence #Neuroimaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org
February 5, 2026 at 6:47 AM
1/4 New preprint! We systematically reviewed fMRI studies on how GLP-1 receptor agonists affect brain responses to reward-related cues. Only 11 studies exist, and the findings are more complex than headlines suggest. Thread 👇 #RewardSignals #Neuroskyence #Neuroimaging
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.6...
½ New preprint reveals a twist in dopamine’s role: Cue-evoked dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens core doesn’t just boost reward pursuit—it shapes how we pursue.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Dopamine supports reward prediction to shape reward-pursuit strategy
Reward predictions not only promote reward pursuit, they also shape how reward is pursed. Such predictions are supported by environmental cues that signal reward availability and probability. Such cue...
doi.org
December 13, 2025 at 11:27 AM
½ New preprint reveals a twist in dopamine’s role: Cue-evoked dopamine in the Nucleus Accumbens core doesn’t just boost reward pursuit—it shapes how we pursue.
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
doi.org/10.1101/2025...
At #ACNP2026? Come see my poster (W45, 5–7 pm)! We @erika-forbes.bsky.social find that immune activation and basal ganglia dopamine availability interact and relate to anhedonia among youth w/ depression, with evidence for anticipatory and not consummatory anhedonia.
Preprint is now available!
Preprint is now available!
Basal Ganglia Dopamine Availability and Immune Activation Interact and Relate to Anhedonia Severity among Youth with Depression
Anhedonia emerges in adolescence, has putative substrates in neural reward and dopamine systems, and is a hallmark of poor course in depression. Psychoneuroimmunology models suggest altered immune and...
www.biorxiv.org
January 14, 2026 at 8:36 PM
Bonus on this paper:
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
November 20, 2025 at 1:41 PM
Bonus on this paper:
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
there is also a commentary from Masakazu Taira & @melissajsharpe.bsky.social that is certainly worth reading-
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
#RewardSignals #neuroskyence
1/2 S1 mice display impaired extinction and abnormally sustained VTA-DA activity during US omission. Surprisingly, optogenetic excitation of VTA or IL-terminals failed to rescue the deficit. www.eneuro.org/content/12/1... #RewardSignals #neuroskyence
Altered Dopamine Signaling in Extinction-Deficient Mice
A central mechanism of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and trauma-related disorders is fear extinction. However, the mechanisms underlying fear extinction are deficient in some...
www.eneuro.org
December 3, 2025 at 8:37 PM
1/2 S1 mice display impaired extinction and abnormally sustained VTA-DA activity during US omission. Surprisingly, optogenetic excitation of VTA or IL-terminals failed to rescue the deficit. www.eneuro.org/content/12/1... #RewardSignals #neuroskyence