Triadic model of the neurobiology of motivated behavior in adolescence.
BACKGROUND
Risk-taking behavior is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescence. In the context of decision theory and motivated (goal-directed) behavior, risk-taking reflects a pattern of decision-making that favors the selection of courses of action with uncertain and possibly harmful consequences. We present a triadic, neuroscience systems-based model of adolescent decision-making.


METHODS
We review the functional role and neurodevelopmental findings of three key structures in the control of motivated behavior, i.e. amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and medial/ventral prefrontal cortex. We adopt a cognitive neuroscience approach to motivated behavior that uses a temporal fragmentation of a generic motivated action. Predictions about the relative contributions of the triadic nodes to the three stages of a motivated action during adolescence are proposed.


RESULTS
The propensity during adolescence for reward/novelty seeking in the face of uncertainty or potential harm might be explained by a strong reward system (nucleus accumbens), a weak harm-avoidant system (amygdala), and/or an inefficient supervisory system (medial/ventral prefrontal cortex). Perturbations in these systems may contribute to the expression of psychopathology, illustrated here with depression and anxiety.


CONCLUSIONS
A triadic model, integrated in a temporally organized map of motivated behavior, can provide a helpful framework that suggests specific hypotheses of neural bases of typical and atypical adolescent behavior.
Section of Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. ernstm@mail.nih.gov
Monique
M
Ernst
Daniel S
DS
Pine
Michael
M
Hardin
D000293:Adolescent; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D003657:Decision Making; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D009042:Motivation; D009714:Nucleus Accumbens / Q000502:physiology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology