DECISION MAKING

Question 1

What brain regions are involved in decision making?

Answer 1

• vm PFC
• Striatum
• Insula
• ACC

Question 2

What is the role of dopamine in the reward system?

Answer 2

Dopamine is responsible for wanting, not liking. It signals changes in information, not reward.

Question 3

What is the reward prediction error?

Answer 3

The difference between the difference in expected and received reward. If you receive a higher reward than expected, there is a change in dopamine levels.

Question 4

What are the two areas that serve as the source of the neuromodulator dopamine?

Answer 4

• Ventral tegmental area –> projects to nucleus accumbens.

- Substantia nigra –> projects to caudate and putamen.

Question 5

How does the reward prediction error have effect?

Answer 5

If received reward is higher than expected, individuals update their estimate of its value and choose it more often in the future.

Question 6

What would be the benefit of lobotomy or DBS instead of pharmaceutical therapy?

Answer 6

When a dysfunction is associated to a very specific brain region, it has been shown to be very effective. Still, it is very invasive and only the most severe cases are eligible for it.