UCLA Neuroscience Program Ph.D. Admissions Neuroscience Faculty UCLA and Beyond  



Bernard Balleine
Neurobiology of Learning and Memory

Email Address:  balleine@psych.ucla.edu

Work Address:
Franz Hall, 8425A
Franz Hall B258


Phone Numbers:
310-206-5895 Phone Numbers:
310-825-2998 Laboratory
310-825-7560 Office


Selected Publications:

Nader, K. Balleine, B. Ambiguity and anxiety: when a glass half full is empty. Nat Neurosci. 2007; 10(7): 807-8.
Corbit, L. H. Janak, P. H. Balleine, B. W. General and outcome-specific forms of Pavlovian-instrumental transfer: the effect of shifts in motivational state and inactivation of the ventral tegmental area. Eur J Neurosci. 2007; 26(11): 3141-9.
Lobo, M. K. Cui, Y. Ostlund, S. B. Balleine, B. W. Yang, X. W. Genetic control of instrumental conditioning by striatopallidal neuron-specific S1P receptor Gpr6. Nat Neurosci. 2007; 10(11): 1395-7.
Balleine, B. W. Ostlund, S. B. Still at the choice-point: action selection and initiation in instrumental conditioning. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007; 1104: 147-71.
Ostlund, S. B. Balleine, B. W. The contribution of orbitofrontal cortex to action selection. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2007; 1121: 174-92.
Wiltgen, B. J. Law, M. Ostlund, S. Mayford, M. Balleine, B. W. The influence of Pavlovian cues on instrumental performance is mediated by CaMKII activity in the striatum. Eur J Neurosci. 2007; 25(8): 2491-7.
Yin, H. H. Zhuang, X. Balleine, B. W. Instrumental learning in hyperdopaminergic mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2006; 85(3): 283-8.
Balleine, B. W. Dickinson, A. Motivational control of blocking. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2006; 32(1): 33-43.
Balleine, B. W. Killcross, S. Parallel incentive processing: an integrated view of amygdala function. Trends Neurosci. 2006; 29(5): 272-9.
Liljeholm, M. Balleine, B. W. Stimulus salience and retrospective revaluation. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2006; 32(4): 481-7.
Yin, H. H. Knowlton, B. J. Balleine, B. W. Blockade of NMDA receptors in the dorsomedial striatum prevents action-outcome learning in instrumental conditioning. Eur J Neurosci. 2005; 22(2): 505-12.
Winterbauer, N. E. Balleine, B. W. Motivational control of second-order conditioning. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2005; 31(3): 334-40.
Balleine, B. W. Espinet, A. Gonzalez, F. Perceptual learning enhances retrospective revaluation of conditioned flavor preferences in rats. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2005; 31(3): 341-50.
Glasner, S. V. Overmier, J. B. Balleine, B. W. The role of Pavlovian cues in alcohol seeking in dependent and nondependent rats. J Stud Alcohol. 2005; 66(1): 53-61.
Yin, H. H. Ostlund, S. B. Knowlton, B. J. Balleine, B. W. The role of the dorsomedial striatum in instrumental conditioning. Eur J Neurosci. 2005; 22(2): 513-23.
Espinet, A. Gonzalez, F. Balleine, B. Inhibitory sensory preconditioning. Q J Exp Psychol B. 2004; 57(3): 261-72.
Yin, H. H. Knowlton, B. J. Balleine, B. W. Lesions of dorsolateral striatum preserve outcome expectancy but disrupt habit formation in instrumental learning. Eur J Neurosci. 2004; 19(1): 181-9.
Frankland, P. W. Wang, Y. Rosner, B. Shimizu, T. Balleine, B. W. Dykens, E. M. Ornitz, E. M. Silva, A. J. Sensorimotor gating abnormalities in young males with fragile X syndrome and Fmr1-knockout mice. Mol Psychiatry. 2004; 9(4): 417-25.
Hunter, A. M. Balleine, B. W. Minor, T. R. Helplessness and escape performance: glutamate-adenosine interactions in the frontal cortex. Behav Neurosci. 2003; 117(1): 123-35.
Corbit, L. H. Balleine, B. W. Instrumental and Pavlovian incentive processes have dissociable effects on components of a heterogeneous instrumental chain. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 2003; 29(2): 99-106.
Corbit, L. H. Muir, J. L. Balleine, B. W. Lesions of mediodorsal thalamus and anterior thalamic nuclei produce dissociable effects on instrumental conditioning in rats. Eur J Neurosci. 2003; 18(5): 1286-94.
Saade, S. Balleine, B. W. Minor, T. R. The L-type calcium channel blocker nimodipine mitigates "learned helplessness" in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003; 74(2): 269-78.
Woodson, J. C. Balleine, B. W. An assessment of factors contributing to instrumental performance for sexual reward in the rat. Q J Exp Psychol B. 2002; 55(1): 75-88.
de Borchgrave, R. Rawlins, J. N. Dickinson, A. Balleine, B. W. Effects of cytotoxic nucleus accumbens lesions on instrumental conditioning in rats. Exp Brain Res. 2002; 144(1): 50-68.
Woodson, J. C. Balleine, B. W. Gorski, R. A. Sexual experience interacts with steroid exposure to shape the partner preferences of rats. Horm Behav. 2002; 42(2): 148-57.
Balleine, B. W. Dickinson, A. Goal-directed instrumental action: contingency and incentive learning and their cortical substrates. Neuropharmacology. 1998; 37(4-5): 407-19.
Dickinson, A. Campos, J. Varga, Z. I. Balleine, B. Bidirectional instrumental conditioning. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1996; 49(4): 289-306.
Balleine, B. W. Fletcher, N. Dickinson, A. Effect of the 5-HT1A agonist, 8-OH-DPAT on instrumental performance in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1996; 125(1): 79-88.
Killcross, S. Balleine, B. Role of primary motivation in stimulus preexposure effects. J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 1996; 22(1): 32-42.
Balleine, B. Davies, A. Dickinson, A. Cholecystokinin attenuates incentive learning in rats. Behav Neurosci. 1995; 109(2): 312-9.
Balleine, B. Gerner, C. Dickinson, A. Instrumental outcome devaluation is attenuated by the anti-emetic ondansetron. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1995; 48(3): 235-51.
Balleine, B. Asymmetrical interactions between thirst and hunger in Pavlovian-instrumental transfer. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1994; 47(2): 211-31.
Balleine, B. Ball, J. Dickinson, A. Benzodiazepine-induced outcome revaluation and the motivational control of instrumental action in rats. Behav Neurosci. 1994; 108(3): 573-89.
Balleine, B. Dickinson, A. Role of cholecystokinin in the motivational control of instrumental action in rats. Behav Neurosci. 1994; 108(3): 590-605.
Lopez, M. Balleine, B. Dickinson, A. Incentive learning following reinforcer devaluation is not conditional upon the motivational state during re-exposure. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1992; 45(4): 265-84.
Balleine, B. Dickinson, A. Signalling and incentive processes in instrumental reinforcer devaluation. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1992; 45(4): 285-301.
Balleine, B. W. Curthoys, I. S. Differential effects of escapable and inescapable footshock on hippocampal theta activity. Behav Neurosci. 1991; 105(1): 202-9.
Balleine, B. Job, R. F. Reconsideration of the role of competing responses in demonstrations of the interference effect (learned helplessness). J Exp Psychol Anim Behav Process. 1991; 17(3): 270-80.
Dickinson, A. Balleine, B. Motivational control of instrumental performance following a shift from thirst to hunger. Q J Exp Psychol B. 1990; 42(4): 413-31.
Balleine, B. W. McGregor, I. S. Atrens, D. M. Controllability of prestimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex determines the facilitation of self-stimulation and kindled seizures. Physiol Behav. 1989; 46(2): 239-45.
Atrens, D. M. van der Reest, A. Balleine, B. W. Menendez, J. A. Siviy, S. M. Effects of ethanol and tertiary butanol on blood glucose levels and body temperature of rats. Alcohol. 1989; 6(3): 183-7.
Healey, P. A. McGregor, I. S. Balleine, B. W. Atrens, D. M. Environment-specific conditioning produced by electrical stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus. Physiol Behav. 1989; 46(5): 907-12.
Balleine, Liljeholm, Ostlund The integrative function of the basal ganglia in instrumental conditioning.. Behavioural brain research. 2008; .
Yin Henry H, Ostlund Sean B, Balleine Bernard W Reward-guided learning beyond dopamine in the nucleus accumbens: the integrative functions of cortico-basal ganglia networks.. The European journal of neuroscience. 2008; 28(8): 1437-48.
Tanaka Saori C, Balleine Bernard W, O'Doherty John P Calculating consequences: brain systems that encode the causal effects of actions.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2008; 28(26): 6750-5.
Bray Signe, Rangel Antonio, Shimojo Shinsuke, Balleine Bernard, O'Doherty John P The neural mechanisms underlying the influence of pavlovian cues on human decision making.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2008; 28(22): 5861-6.
Ostlund Sean B, Balleine Bernard W Differential involvement of the basolateral amygdala and mediodorsal thalamus in instrumental action selection.. The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience. 2008; 28(17): 4398-405.
Espinet Alfredo, Artigas Antonio A, Balleine Bernard W Inhibitory sensory preconditioning detected with a sodium depletion procedure.. Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006). 2008; 61(2): 240-7.
Ostlund Sean B, Balleine Bernard W The contribution of orbitofrontal cortex to action selection.. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2007; 1121(2): 174-92.
Balleine, B. W. Delgado, M. R. Hikosaka, O. The role of the dorsal striatum in reward and decision-making. J Neurosci. 2007; 27(31): 8161-5.
Ostlund, S. B. Balleine, B. W. Orbitofrontal cortex mediates outcome encoding in Pavlovian but not instrumental conditioning. J Neurosci. 2007; 27(18): 4819-25.
Espinet, A. Artigas, A. A. Balleine, B. W. Inhibitory sensory preconditioning detected with a sodium depletion procedure. Q J Exp Psychol (Colchester). 2007; 1.
de Wit, S. Kosaki, Y. Balleine, B. W. Dickinson, A. Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex resolves response conflict in rats. J Neurosci. 2006; 26(19): 5224-9.
Yin, H. H. Knowlton, B. J. Balleine, B. W. Inactivation of dorsolateral striatum enhances sensitivity to changes in the action-outcome contingency in instrumental conditioning. Behav Brain Res. 2006; 166(2): 189-96.
Balleine, B. W. Neural bases of food-seeking: affect, arousal and reward in corticostriatolimbic circuits. Physiol Behav. 2005; 86(5): 717-30.
Ostlund, S. B. Balleine, B. W. Lesions of medial prefrontal cortex disrupt the acquisition but not the expression of goal-directed learning. J Neurosci. 2005; 25(34): 7763-70.
Wang, S. H. Ostlund, S. B. Nader, K. Balleine, B. W. Consolidation and reconsolidation of incentive learning in the amygdala. J Neurosci. 2005; 25(4): 830-5.
Corbit, L. H. Balleine, B. W. Double dissociation of basolateral and central amygdala lesions on the general and outcome-specific forms of pavlovian-instrumental transfer. J Neurosci. 2005; 25(4): 962-70.
Corbit, L. H. Balleine, B. W. The role of prelimbic cortex in instrumental conditioning. Behav Brain Res. 2003; 146(1-2): 145-57.
Balleine, B. W. Killcross, A. S. Dickinson, A. The effect of lesions of the basolateral amygdala on instrumental conditioning. J Neurosci. 2003; 23(2): 666-75.
Corbit, L. H. Ostlund, S. B. Balleine, B. W. Sensitivity to instrumental contingency degradation is mediated by the entorhinal cortex and its efferents via the dorsal hippocampus. J Neurosci. 2002; 22(24): 10976-84.
Dayan, P. Balleine, B. W. Reward, motivation, and reinforcement learning. Neuron. 2002; 36(2): 285-98.
Corbit, L. H. Muir, J. L. Balleine, B. W. The role of the nucleus accumbens in instrumental conditioning: Evidence of a functional dissociation between accumbens core and shell. J Neurosci. 2001; 21(9): 3251-60.
Balleine, B. W. Dickinson, A. The effect of lesions of the insular cortex on instrumental conditioning: evidence for a role in incentive memory. J Neurosci. 2000; 20(23): 8954-64.
Corbit, L. H. Balleine, B. W. The role of the hippocampus in instrumental conditioning. J Neurosci. 2000; 20(11): 4233-9.
Balleine, B. Killcross, S. Effects of ibotenic acid lesions of the nucleus accumbens on instrumental action. Behav Brain Res. 1994; 65(2): 181-93.
Balleine, B. The acquisition of self-stimulation of the medical prefrontal cortex following exposure to escapable or inescapable footshock. Behav Brain Res. 1991; 43(2): 167-74.
McGregor, I. S. Balleine, B. W. Atrens, D. M. Footshock stress facilitates self-stimulation of the medial prefrontal cortex but not the lateral hypothalamus in the rat. Brain Res. 1989; 490(2): 397-403.
Research Interest:

From a folk psychological perspective, the three fundamental divisions of behavior are reflexes, volitional actions and habits.The research in my laboratory focuses on the neurobiology of learning and memory in an attempt to establish whether and on what basis the psychological and neural processes that support these different behavioral classes in fact differ. We are addressing this issue in rats and mice using both Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning preparations, motivational manipulations, and tests of stimulus-outcome and action-outcome encoding - the basic associative processes underlying Pavlovian and instrumental conditioning. At a neural level we are particularly interested in exploring the role of the basal ganglia in both goal-directed and habitual actions investigating the role of specific cortical-striatal circuits using tract tracing, electrophysiological and standard pharmacological and lesion techniques. In addition to cortical afferents we have also been interested in the role of entorhinal, hippocampal and amygdala afferents on the striatum as well as of feedback to the cortex and the striatum from the nigra, pallidum and midline thalamic nuclei in the encoding of action-goal relations.