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Neuroeconomics pp 85–95Cite as

Monoamines and Decision-Making Under Risks

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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.

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Acknowledgments

A part of this study is the result of “Integrated Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders” carried out under the Strategic Research Program for Brain Sciences by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT), a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas: Prediction and Decision Making (23120009), a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientist A (23680045), a research grant from Takeda Science Foundation, a research grant from Brain Science Foundation, a research grant from Casio Science Foundation and a research grant from Senshin Medical Research Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin, Kawara-Cho, Sakyo-Ku, Kyoto, 606-8507, Japan

    Hidehiko Takahashi

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  1. Hidehiko Takahashi
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Correspondence to Hidehiko Takahashi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Differentielle and Biologische Psychologie, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms- Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany

    Martin Reuter

  2. Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute for Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany and Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation, School of Life Science and Technology, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China

    Christian Montag

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Takahashi, H. (2016). Monoamines and Decision-Making Under Risks. In: Reuter, M., Montag, C. (eds) Neuroeconomics. Studies in Neuroscience, Psychology and Behavioral Economics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35923-1_5

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