The role of serotonin 1B in the representation of outcomes

Disrupted serotonin neurotransmission has been implicated in the etiology of psychopathic traits. Empirical research has found that people with high levels of psychopathic traits have a deficit in reinforcement learning that is thought to be linked with amygdala dysfunction. Altered serotonin neurotransmission provides a plausible explanation for amygdala dysfunction in psychopathic traits and recent research suggests that this may be associated with serotonin 1B (5-HT(1B)) receptor function. This research used an animal model to test the hypothesis that 5-HT(1B) receptors are involved in the encoding of the specific features of reinforcing outcomes. An outcome devaluation task was used to test the effect of the systemic administration of a selective 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist administered before encoding of “action-outcome” associations. Results showed that while administration of a 5-HT(1B) receptor agonist allowed rats to acquire instrumental responding for food, when the content of that learning was further probed using an outcome devaluation task, performance differed from controls. 5-HT(1B) agonism impaired learning about the specific sensory qualities of food rewards associated with distinct instrumental responses, required to direct choice performance when the value of one outcome changed. These findings suggest a role for 5-HT(1B) receptor function in the encoding of the specific features of reinforcing outcomes.