Neural mechanisms associated with treatment decision making: an fMRI study.

Neural mechanisms associated with treatment decision making: an fMRI study.
Behav Brain Res. 2018 Apr 23;:
Authors: Abidi M, Bruce J, Le Blanche A, Bruce A, Jarmolowicz DP, Csillik A, Thai NJ, Lim SL, Heinzlef O, de Marco G
Abstract
Great progress has been made in understanding how people make financial decisions. However, there is little research on how people make health and treatment choices. Our study aimed to examine how participants weigh benefits (reduction in disease progression) and probability of risk (medications' side effects) when making hypothetical treatment decisions, and to identify the neural networks implicated in this process. Fourteen healthy participants were recruited to perform a treatment decision probability discounting task using MRI. Behavioral responses and skin conductance responses (SCRs) were measured. A whole brain analysis were performed to compare activity changes between "mild" and "severe" medications' side effects conditions. Then, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), ventral striatum (VS), amygdala and insula were chosen for effective connectivity analysis. Behavioral data showed that participants are more likely to refuse medication when side effects are high and efficacy is low. SCRs values were significantly higher when people made medication decisions in the severe compared to mild condition. Functionally, OFC and VS were activated in the mild condition and were associated with increased likehood of ...

Source: Behavioural Brain Research - April 23, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Abidi M, Bruce J, Le Blanche A, Bruce A, Jarmolowicz DP, Csillik A, Thai NJ, Lim SL, Heinzlef O, de Marco G Tags: Behav Brain Res Source Type: research