How the brain learns that earmuffs are not valuable at the beach

(University of Tsukuba) A collaboration between the University of Tsukuba and the NEI in the US has discovered that fast-spiking neurons in the basal ganglia allow monkeys to associate different values with the same objects based on the surrounding environment. Blocking input from these cells inhibited learning of new scene-based values, but did not erase already learned associations. This could help understand clinical conditions such as Tourette syndrome, which is characterized by reduced input from these cells.
Source: EurekAlert! - Social and Behavioral Science - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: news