VTA dopamine neuron activity encodes social interaction and promotes reinforcement learning through social prediction error

Social interactions are motivated behaviors that, in many species, facilitate learning. However, how the brain encodes the reinforcing properties of social interactions remains unclear. In this study, using in vivo recording in freely moving mice, we show that dopamine (DA) neurons of the ventral tegmental area (VTA) increase their activity during interactions with an unfamiliar conspecific and display heterogeneous responses. Using a social instrumental task, we then show that VTA DA neuron activity encodes social prediction error and drives social reinforcement learning. Thus, our findings suggest that VTA DA neurons are a neural substrate for a social learning signal that drives motivated behavior. In this study, the authors show that VTA DA neurons display heterogeneous responses during interactions with an unfamiliar conspecific. The activity of DA neurons encodes social prediction error and drives social reinforcement learning.

Automated summary

In this study, the researchers demonstrated that VTA DA neurons show heterogeneous responses during interactions with unfamiliar conspecifics. The activity of DA neurons encodes social prediction error and drives social reinforcement learning.