Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis01:29

Drugs Affecting Neurotransmitter Synthesis

Drugs affecting neurotransmitter synthesis can impact the adrenergic neuron and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. For example, α-methyltyrosine and carbidopa target specific enzymes involved in catecholamine synthesis. α-methyltyrosine inhibits the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase, which converts tyrosine into dopamine. By blocking this enzyme, α-methyltyrosine reduces dopamine production and other catecholamines. Carbidopa, on the other hand, inhibits the enzyme dopa decarboxylase, which converts...
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Human Genetics01:28

Human Genetics

Human genetics provides a profound framework for understanding the interplay between genetic predispositions and human psychology. At the heart of this discipline lies the study of how genes influence physical traits, behaviors, and susceptibility to diseases. Each person carries a unique genetic code that subtly or significantly shapes their psychological and behavioral landscape.
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena01:15

Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena

Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not necessarily...
Decision Making: P-value Method01:09

Decision Making: P-value Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim  is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses:  a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...
Decision Making: Traditional Method01:14

Decision Making: Traditional Method

The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Beyond passivity: Depressive symptoms predict persistent active avoidance under ambiguity.

Behaviour research and therapy·2026
Same author

Increased alcohol drinking and seizure susceptibility in female humanized ApoE4 knockin rats.

Physiology & behavior·2026
Same author

GluN2B-specific NMDAR positive allosteric modulation reverses cognitive and behavioral abnormalities in <i>Mecp2</i> and <i>Disc1</i> transgenic mice.

Science advances·2026
Same author

Dopamine Responses in Medial Frontal Cortex Are More Consistent with a Generalized Arousal Signal Than Signed Reward Prediction Errors.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2026
Same author

Complementary yet Dissociable Influences of Medial and Lateral Orbitofrontal Cortex over Cue-Guided Decisions Involving Reward Magnitude and Uncertainty.

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience·2025
Same author

Depression Levels Are Associated with Reduced Capacity to Learn to Actively Avoid Aversive Events in Young Adults.

eNeuro·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 3, 2026

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
07:42

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents

Published on: August 2, 2018

Dopaminergic modulation of risk-based decision making.

Jennifer R St Onge1, Stan B Floresco

  • 1Department of Psychology and Brain Research Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Neuropsychopharmacology : Official Publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
|August 1, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Dopamine (DA) influences risk-based decisions. Increased D(1) and D(2) receptor activity promotes choosing riskier, larger rewards, while D(3) receptors show opposing effects in rats.

More Related Videos

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area
09:54

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area

Published on: August 10, 2012

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 3, 2026

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents
07:42

An Automated T-maze Based Apparatus and Protocol for Analyzing Delay- and Effort-based Decision Making in Free Moving Rodents

Published on: August 2, 2018

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area
09:54

Comprehensive Profiling of Dopamine Regulation in Substantia Nigra and Ventral Tegmental Area

Published on: August 10, 2012

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
06:11

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats

Published on: February 20, 2019

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Behavioral Pharmacology
  • Decision Science

Background:

  • The mesolimbic dopamine (DA) system is known to mediate cost/benefit analyses for delay or effort.
  • Its role in risk-based decision-making, however, remains largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the impact of manipulating dopamine transmission on risky choice behavior.
  • To elucidate the specific roles of different dopamine receptor subtypes in probabilistic decision-making.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a probabilistic discounting task in rats, where choices were made between a small, certain reward and a larger, probabilistic reward.
  • Administered amphetamine (a DA releaser), selective D(1), D(2), D(3), and D(4) receptor agonists and antagonists systemically.

Main Results:

  • Amphetamine increased preference for the large/risky option, an effect blocked by D(1) or D(2) antagonists.
  • D(1) or D(2) receptor blockade alone induced risk aversion.
  • D(1) and D(2) receptor stimulation increased risky choice, whereas D(3) receptor activation decreased it.
  • D(3) antagonism enhanced the amphetamine-induced increase in risky choice.

Conclusions:

  • Dopamine plays a crucial role in mediating risk-based decisions.
  • Activation of D(1) and D(2) receptors biases choice towards probabilistic rewards, while D(3) receptors exert an opposing influence.