Display Settings:

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination
We are sorry, but NCBI web applications do not support your browser and may not function properly. More information
    Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2009 Sep;93(3):291-9. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2009.02.008. Epub 2009 Feb 28.

    Now or Later? An fMRI study of the effects of endogenous opioid blockade on a decision-making network.

    Source

    Department of Psychology, Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599-3270, United States. cab@unc.edu

    Abstract

    Previously, we found that distinct brain areas predict individual selection bias in decisions between small immediate ("Now") and larger delayed rewards ("Later"). Furthermore, such selection bias can be manipulated by endogenous opioid blockade. To test whether blocking endogenous opioids with naltrexone (NTX) alters brain activity during decision-making in areas predicting individual bias, we compared fMRI BOLD signal correlated with Now versus Later decision-making after acute administration of NTX (50 mg) or placebo. We tested abstinent alcoholics and control subjects in a double-blind two-session design. We defined regions of interest (ROIs) centered on activation peaks predicting Now versus Later selection bias. NTX administration significantly increased BOLD signal during decision-making in the right lateral orbital gyrus ROI, an area where enhanced activity during decision-making predicts Later bias. Exploratory analyses identified additional loci where BOLD signal during decision-making was enhanced (left orbitofrontal cortex, left inferior temporal gyrus, and cerebellum) or reduced (right superior temporal pole) by NTX. Additional analyses identified sites, including the right lateral orbital gyrus, in which NTX effects on BOLD signal predicted NTX effects on selection bias. These data agree with opioid receptor expression in human frontal and temporal cortices, and suggest possible mechanisms of NTX's therapeutic effects.

    PMID:
    19258022
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
    PMCID:
    PMC2729462
    Free PMC Article

    Images from this publication.See all images (5)Free text

    Figure 2
    Figure 4
    Figure 1
    Figure 3
    Figure 5

      Supplemental Content

      Icon for Elsevier Science Icon for PubMed Central

      Save items

      Recent activity

      Your browsing activity is empty.

      Activity recording is turned off.

      Turn recording back on

      See more...
      Write to the Help Desk