Electrophysiological Correlates of Reinforcement Learning in the Human Ventral Tegmental Area

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 

The Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) is the main source of dopaminergic input to the human prefrontal cortex. Studies in non-human primates and human fMRI suggest VTA dopaminergic neurons encode reward prediction error, critical for reinforcement learning. However, direct electrophysiological evidence in humans remains absent.