How dopamine affects learning and behavior
Official title: Striatal Dopamine's Role in Associative Learning and Behavior
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-10824454 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how a brain chemical called dopamine helps us learn to connect certain signals with rewards, and it's for anyone interested in understanding how this process works in both people and animals, which could help improve treatments for mental health issues.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 2, 2024 |
| Project end | October 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2023 |
| Award (this year) | $73,580 |
| NIH project number | 1F32MH135597-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-10824454 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with cognitive impairments related to psychiatric conditions.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without cognitive impairments or those not affected by psychiatric disorders may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the role of striatal dopamine in associative learning, which is how we learn to associate cues with rewards. By using tasks that measure how well subjects learn these associations, the study aims to understand how dopamine influences decision-making and learning processes. The research involves both human and rodent models to explore the underlying mechanisms of dopamine's role in these tasks, providing insights that could lead to new treatments for cognitive impairments in psychiatric disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to new therapeutic strategies for improving cognitive function in patients with mental health disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding dopamine's role in learning, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Decorte, Benjamin — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Decorte, Benjamin
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.