As psychology professionals, we know that “risk behavior is defined as the repeated search for danger, in which the person puts their life at stake. These behaviors, different from dangerous or risky actions performed when circumstances demand it, reflect an attraction to risk and, especially, to strong sensations related to confronting danger and death (Adès, Lejoyeux, 2004).
A group of scientists from Stanford University in the United States has described the neural circuits of risky behaviors in rats in the journal Nature. These behaviors are also present in numerous species because they ensure their survival, such as in birds, bees, and wasps, not to mention humans. According to the study results, the tendency towards risk or safety in decision-making depends on a small group of neurons in the nucleus accumbens, the brain area of the reward system where nerve cells related to pleasure and addiction are also found (Jar, 2016). The researchers observed relevant genetic and anatomical differences in these neurons; specifically, in a type of dopamine receptors, the neurotransmitter involved in motivation. Further research and training in neuropsychology are indispensable in our profession to advance and improve psychotherapy.
In the study, previously detected neural signals were controlled using optogenetics, a technique that allows intervention in neuron activity with light wavelengths. Karl Deisseroth, the study coordinator, is one of the creators of this revolutionary method in neuroscience (Jar, 2016).
The study authors installed a hair-thin optical fiber in the rats’ nucleus accumbens to monitor the electrochemical signals of these neurons. In this way, they converted risky rats into measured rodents by modulating dopamine receptors in the nucleus accumbens neuron group using optogenetics. Their inclination for risk returned to its natural state when the manipulation of this technique was withdrawn. In the experiment, based on a sugary water reward, two-thirds of the rats were conservative, while the rest preferred to take risks to discover whether the reward awaiting them was above or below average (Jar, 2016).
The evolutionary advantage of risky behavior is to achieve a greater reward than that obtained with a conservative attitude. “As species, we wouldn’t have gotten this far without it,” comments Deisseroth. However, the predisposition to risk can also be “detrimental,” leading to accidents, addictions, and financial failures (Jar, 2016).
Nevertheless, humans are prone to changing their preference for taking risks based on the behavior of others, which is demonstrated by the collection of 24 functional magnetic resonance imaging scans that, combined with computational models, show the activation of neural regions associated with risk evaluation and learning about the attitudes of others (Jar, 2016). Therefore, we are not slaves to our biology. In the field of psychological intervention, a better understanding of our brain is essential. Master’s degrees like ISEP’s Master in Clinical Neuropsychology broaden the perspectives of evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention within different mental illnesses and clinical pathologies.
This study by Deisseroth and his group could contribute to a better understanding of some psychiatric illnesses and their treatments, the authors assure. For example, pramipexole is the most prescribed drug to treat the symptoms of Parkinson’s and restless legs syndrome. As a dopamine agonist, some patients develop a need to gamble money. Other studies had analyzed the effect of this medication on risky decisions in rodents, but drug manipulation produced inconsistent results (Jar, 2016).
Finally, the finding also represents “a success for neuroeconomics, the science that strives to study economic behavior to better understand brain function, and studies the brain to examine and complement theoretical models about economic behavior.