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jim |
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posted on April 29, 2006 12:20:19 PM |
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I notice in the literature that the dopaminergic input to the PFC is termed an \'error signal\' or a \'reward signal\'. Based on your description of VTA dissociation syndrome and based on the extent of these projects to PFC, that seems like a gross oversimplification.
In the absence of better terminology, this terminology will continue to dominate the field. And when people feel they have a handle on how something works (via jargon), they tend to lose interest. I\'m guessing these dopaminergic signals are more like a motivational signal that gives you that giddy feeling when you are about to succeed at something and tells you to continue with a particular thought rather than to stop a thought. I know this seems counterintuitive given your description of patient Kevin, but, isn\'t it possible that the inability to stop something is equivalent (in this case) to the inability to continue a selection once its desirability has been established. That would make it a 3-step process of identification->fascination->commitment. I don\'t have any experience with these patients. I was hoping you could shed some light on whether this could be the case.
My question is, is there any better terminology or concrete examples of why this is not merely an \'error\' or \'reward\' signal. |
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