Article

Decision-making is a complex process that requires the orchestration of multiple
neural systems. For example, decision-making is believed to involve areas of the
brain involved in emotion (e.g., amygdala, ventromedial prefrontal cortex) and
memory (e.g., hippocampus, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex). In this article, we
will present findings related to the amygdala's role in decision-making, and
differentiate the contributions of the amygdala from those of other structurally
and functionally connected neural regions. Decades of research have shown that
the amygdala is involved in associating a stimulus with its emotional value. This
tradition has been extended in newer work, which has shown that the amygdala is
especially important for decision-making, by triggering autonomic responses to
emotional stimuli, including monetary reward and punishment. Patients with
amygdala damage lack these autonomic responses to reward and punishment, and
consequently, cannot utilize "somatic marker" type cues to guide future
decision-making. Studies using laboratory decision-making tests have found
deficient decision-making in patients with bilateral amygdala damage, which
resembles their real-world difficulties with decision-making. Additionally, we
have found evidence for an interaction between sex and laterality of amygdala
functioning, such that unilateral damage to the right amygdala results in greater
deficits in decision-making and social behavior in men, while left amygdala
damage seems to be more detrimental for women. We have posited that the amygdala
is part of an "impulsive," habit type system that triggers emotional responses to
immediate outcomes.
CI - Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS