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Lorazepam dose-dependently decreases risk-taking related activation in limbic areas

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Abstract

Rationale

Several studies have examined the role of different neurotransmitter systems in modulating risk-taking behavior.

Objective

This investigation was aimed to determine whether the benzodiazepine lorazepam dose-dependently alters risk-taking behavior and underlying neural substrates.

Materials and methods

Fifteen healthy, nonsmoking, individuals (six women, nine men), aged 18–39 years (mean 27.6 ± 1.4 years) with 12–18 years of education (mean 15.6 ± 0.3 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a risk-taking decision-making task.

Results

Our results show that lorazepam did not affect risky behavior at 0.25 and 1 mg, but dose-dependently attenuated activation in (a) the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex during the response selection phase, and in (b) the bilateral insular cortex and amygdala during the outcome (i.e., rewarded or punished) phase. Furthermore, a lorazepam-induced increase in insular cortex activation was associated with less risky responses.

Conclusions

Taken together, our findings support the idea that GABAergic modulation in limbic and paralimbic structures is important during both the response selection and outcome phase of risk-taking decision-making.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the invaluable help of Thuy Le. This work was supported by grants from NIH (DA13186, MPP; MH65413, MBS).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Laboratory of Biological Dynamics and Theoretical Medicine, University of California San Diego, 8950 Villa La Jolla Dr., Suite C213, La Jolla, CA, 92037-0985, USA

    Estibaliz Arce, Daniel A. Miller, Justin S. Feinstein, Murray B. Stein & Martin P. Paulus

  2. Psychiatry Service, San Diego Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Diego, CA, USA

    Murray B. Stein & Martin P. Paulus

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  1. Estibaliz Arce
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  2. Daniel A. Miller
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  3. Justin S. Feinstein
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  4. Murray B. Stein
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  5. Martin P. Paulus
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Correspondence to Estibaliz Arce.

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Arce, E., Miller, D.A., Feinstein, J.S. et al. Lorazepam dose-dependently decreases risk-taking related activation in limbic areas. Psychopharmacology 189, 105–116 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0519-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-006-0519-8

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