Neuronal correlates of risk-seeking attitudes to anticipated losses in binge drinkers.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Abnormal decision making under risk is associated with a number of psychiatric disorders. Here, we focus on binge drinkers (BD), characterized by repeated episodes of heavy alcohol intoxication. Previous studies suggest a decreased sensitivity to aversive conditioning in BD. Here, we asked whether BD might be characterized by enhanced risk seeking related to decreased sensitivity to the anticipation of negative outcomes.

Methods

Using an anticipatory risk-taking task (40 BD and 70 healthy volunteers) and an adapted version of this task for functional magnetic resonance imaging (21 BD and 21 healthy volunteers), we assessed sensitivity to reward and loss across risk probabilities.

Results

In the behavioral task, BD showed a higher number of risky choices in

SUBMITTER: Worbe Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4192134 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature