Tricomi et al. (2009)

A specific role for posterior dorsolateral striatum in human habit learning

European Journal of Neuroscience, 29(11), 2225-2232

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DOI

Abstract

Habits are characterized by an insensitivity to their consequences and, as such, can be distinguished from goal-directed actions. The neural basis of the development of demonstrably outcome-insensitive habitual actions in humans has not been previously characterized. In this experiment, we show that extensive training on a free-operant task reduces the sensitivity of participants’ behavior to a reduction in outcome value. Analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired during training revealed a significant increase in task-related cue sensitivity in a right posterior putamen–globus pallidus region as training progressed. These results provide evidence for a shift from goal-directed to habit-based control of instrumental actions in humans, and suggest that cue-driven activation in a specific region of dorsolateral posterior putamen may contribute to the habitual control of behavior in humans.

Reference

Tricomi, E., Balleine, B. W., & O’Doherty, J. P. (2009). A specific role for posterior dorsolateral striatum in human habit learning. European Journal of Neuroscience, 29(11), 2225-2232.

What Rests on This

1 mechanism cites this source. Each finding below is quoted as it appears on that mechanism's own page.

Instrumental Learning Memory Systems

Neural substrate

Extensive training in humans reduced sensitivity to outcome devaluation and increased cue-related activity in the right posterior putamen, the human counterpart of the rodent dorsolateral striatum implicated in habits
Measured in humans

The standard test is outcome devaluation: people learn actions that earn particular outcomes, one outcome is devalued (for example by eating it to satiety), and continued responding for the devalued outcome is taken as habitual; with extensive training, people in one fMRI study became less sensitive to devaluation