Brain Cells Act as a Real-Time Disappointment Meter for Rewards
University of Oregon researchers identify Tac1-expressing neurons in the lateral habenula that selectively fire when an expected reward is smaller than or withheld, with firing strength scaling to the deficit. These neurons act as a neural “disappointment meter,” not responding to unrelated negative events, and could provide a precise target for treatments of depression and addiction. The team plans to manipulate these cells to understand their role in reward-seeking and neuropsychiatric disorders.