Research article summary (published 27 Feb 2006):

Triadic model of the neurobiology of motivated behavior in adolescence.

Full Abstract

BACKGROUND: Risk-taking behavior is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescence. In the context of decision theory and motivated (goal-directed) behavior, risk-taking reflects a pattern of decision-making that favors the selection of courses of action with uncertain and possibly harmful consequences. We present a triadic, neuroscience systems-based model of adolescent decision-making. METHOD: We review the functional role and neurodevelopmental findings of three key structures in the control of motivated behavior, i.e. amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and medial/ventral prefrontal cortex. We adopt a cognitive neuroscience approach to motivated behavior that uses a temporal fragmentation of a generic motivated action. Predictions about the relative contributions of the triadic nodes to the three stages of a motivated action during adolescence are proposed. RESULTS: The propensity during adolescence for reward/novelty seeking in the face of uncertainty or potential harm might be explained by a strong reward system (nucleus accumbens), a weak harm-avoidant system (amygdala), and/or an inefficient supervisory system (medial/ventral prefrontal cortex). Perturbations in these systems may contribute to the expression of psychopathology, illustrated here with depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: A triadic model, integrated in a temporally organized map of motivated behavior, can provide a helpful framework that suggests specific hypotheses of neural bases of typical and atypical adolescent behavior.

Author information

Author/s: Ernst, Monique (M); Pine, Daniel S (DS); Hardin, Michael (M);

Affiliation: Section of Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. ernstm(-atsign-)mail.nih.gov

Grants: NIH0011573842 (Agency:PHS HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Review

Journal: Psychological medicine (Psychol Med), published in England. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Mar; vol 36 (issue 3) : pp 299-312

Dates: Created 2006/02/13; Completed 2006/07/06; Revised 2009/08/31;

PMID: 16472412, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 9/1/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adolescent Amygdala - physiology Brain - physiology Decision Making Depression - psychology

Depression - psychology Humans Motivation Nucleus Accumbens - physiology Prefrontal Cortex - physiology

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