 | | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 "The risk signal had a delayed onset," Preuschoff said.
"It turns out that anticipation of reward seems to kick in before the brain regions associated with assessing risk do," said Dr. Eric Hollander, professor and chairman of psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City.
The regions of the brain activated by this risk vs. reward behavior are areas that are controlled by the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine helps govern movement, emotional responses and the ability to feel pleasure and pain. Many addictive substances alter the amount of dopamine in the brain.
Text Continues Below
"This study reinforces the idea that these dopamine systems are involved in anticipated reward and in assessment of risk," said Hollander.
Preuschoff said it's likely that people with mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder or pathological gambling, would have subtle differences in these areas when scanned. He said such people often underestimate the actual risk, or may have an impaired ability to assess risk.
"If we can understand the pathway, maybe we can help develop methods to fix it," said Preuschoff.
More information
To learn more about the brain and what each area controls, visit the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (www.neurosurgerytoday.org ).
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
|
.gif)
