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Behavioral approach and orbitofrontal cortical activity during decision-making in substance dependence
Dorothy J Yamamoto1, Marie T Banich2, Michael F Regner3
1Departments of Radiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
|September 22, 2017
Summary
Individuals with substance use disorder exhibit heightened behavioral approach tendencies and increased left orbitofrontal cortex activity during reward-based decision-making. This suggests a neural basis for vulnerability to addiction, particularly in those with high reward-seeking behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Addiction Research
Background:
- Elevated behavioral approach, characterized by seeking rewards or novel stimuli, is linked to increased vulnerability to substance use disorder.
- Behavioral approach is associated with greater left than right frontal brain activity, while behavioral inhibition is linked to greater right than left activity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if substance-dependent individuals (SDI) exhibit higher behavioral approach than controls.
- To examine prefrontal cortical activity during reward-based decision-making in SDI compared to controls.
- To determine the correlation between behavioral approach and left frontal activity during decision-making, and if this differs between SDI and controls.
Main Methods:
- 31 substance-dependent individuals and 21 controls completed the Behavioral Inhibition System/Behavioral Approach System (BIS/BAS) scales.
- Participants performed a decision-making task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- Orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and dorsolateral prefrontal activity were correlated with BIS and BAS scores.
Main Results:
- SDI showed significantly higher BAS Fun Seeking scores and poorer decision-making performance compared to controls.
- Across all participants, higher BAS Fun Seeking scores correlated with increased left OFC activity during decision-making.
- The correlation between BAS Fun Seeking and left OFC activity did not differ between SDI and controls; no correlation was found between BIS and right frontal activity.
Conclusions:
- The left OFC plays a significant role in reward-related decision-making within the context of substance use disorder.
- Heightened behavioral approach, specifically high BAS Fun Seeking, is associated with distinct patterns of left OFC activation in individuals with substance use disorder.
- These findings highlight the neural mechanisms underlying addiction vulnerability, particularly the interplay between reward sensitivity and decision-making processes.