Topic: Value coding

Adaptive behavior is guided by dynamic evaluations of the reward environment, which can be influenced by factors like reward frequency and internal motivational state. We implemented a behavioral task in water deprived headfixed mice that included fluctuating probabilities of reward following auditory stimuli. Mice adjusted their anticipatory licking, a proxy for reward expectation, according to both the recent reward rate and their diminishing motivation for reward. We developed a reinforcement learning model that revealed the synergistic impacts of recent reward history, overall reward rate,