Monoamines and Decision-Making Under Risks

Abstract

Past neuroeconomics studies using neurophysiology methods (mainly fMRI) have revealed the neural basis of ``boundedly rational{''} or ``irrational{''} decision-making that violates normative economics theory. It is expected that the field of neuroeconomics will be merged with neurotransmitter research and clinical neuroscience. Here, we provide an overview of recent molecular neuroimaging studies to understand how central monoamine transmission is related to ``irrational{''} decision-making. Empirical evidence suggests that central dopamine transmission might be related to distortion of subjective reward probability and noradrenaline and serotonin transmission might influence aversive emotional reaction to financial loss. Positron emission tomography (PET) is a powerful tool to understand the neurochemical basis of decision-making in vivo in human. This approach seems to be a promising direction to understand the neurobiology of impaired decision-making in neuropsychiatric disorders and may help to develop novel pharmacotherapy for them.