Brain structure could predict risky behavior
Some people avoid risks at all costs, while others will put their wealth, health, and safety at risk without a thought. Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the volume of the parietal cortex in the brain could predict where people fall on the risk-taking spectrum.
Led by Ifat Levy, assistant professor in comparative medicine and neurobiology at Yale School of Medicine, the team found that those with larger volume in a particular part of the parietal cortex were willing to take more risks than those with less volume in this part of the brain. The findings are published in the Sept. 10 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience.
Although several cognitive and personality traits are reflected in brain structure, there has been little research linking brain structure to economic preferences. Levy and her colleagues sought to examine this question in their study.
Study participants included young adult men and women from the northeastern United States. Participants made a series of choices between monetary lotteries that varied in their degree of risk, and the research team conducted standard anatomical MRI brain scans. The results were first obtained in a group of 28 participants, and then confirmed in a second, independent, group of 33 participants.
“Based on our findings, we could, in principle, use millions of existing medical brains scans to assess risk attitudes in populations,” said Levy. “It could also help us explain differences in risk attitudes based in part on structural brain differences.”
Levy cautions that the results do not speak to causality. “We don’t know if structural changes lead to behavioral changes or vice-versa,” she said.
Levy and her team had previously shown that risk aversion increases as people age, and we scientists also know that the cortex thins substantially with age. “It could be that this thinning explains the behavioral changes; we are now testing that possibility,” said Levy, who also notes that more studies in wider populations are needed.
The study was a collaboration of researchers from Yale, University College London, New York University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Sydney, Australia. In addition to Levy, authors include Sharon Gilaie-Dotan, Agnieszka Tymula, Nicole Cooper, Joseph W. Kable, and Paul W. Glimcher.
The study was funded by the National Institute of Aging (R01AG033406)
Citation: The Journal of Neuroscience doi DOI:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1600-14.2014 (Sept. 10, 2014)
Ujenzi wa ubongo unaweza kutabiri tabia ya hatari: Watu fulani huepuka hatari kwa gharama yoyote, wakati wengine wataweka utajiri, afya, na usalama wao hatarini bila kufikiri. Watafiti wa Chuo Kikuu cha Tiba cha Yale wamegundua kuwa kiasi cha parietal cortex katika ubongo inaweza kutabiri ambapo watu kuanguka juu ya spectrum ya hatari. Ifat Levy, profesa msaidizi wa tiba ya kulinganisha na neurobiolojia katika Chuo cha Tiba cha Yale, alisema kuwa watu wenye kiasi kikubwa cha ubongo katika sehemu fulani ya parietal cortex walikuwa tayari kuchukua hatari zaidi kuliko wale wenye kiasi kidogo katika sehemu hii ya ubongo. Utafiti huo umechapishwa katika toleo la Septemba 10 la jarida la Neuroscience. Ingawa sifa kadhaa za utambuzi na utu zinaonyeshwa katika muundo wa ubongo, kumekuwa na utafiti mdogo unaounganisha muundo wa ubongo na upendeleo wa kiuchumi. Levy na wenzake walijaribu kuchunguza swali hilo katika utafiti wao. Washiriki wa utafiti huo walitia ndani wanaume na wanawake vijana kutoka kaskazini-mashariki mwa Marekani. Washiriki walichagua kati ya michezo ya bahati nasibu ya fedha ambayo ilitofautiana katika kiwango cha hatari, na timu ya utafiti ilifanya uchunguzi wa kawaida wa ubongo wa MRI. Matokeo hayo yalipatikana katika kikundi cha washiriki 28 na kisha yalithibitishwa katika kikundi cha pili cha washiriki 33. "Kutokana na matokeo yetu, tunaweza, kwa kanuni, kutumia mamilioni ya uchunguzi wa ubongo wa matibabu uliopo ili kutathmini mitazamo ya hatari katika idadi ya watu", alisema Levy. "Inaweza pia kutusaidia kuelezea tofauti katika mitazamo ya hatari kulingana na tofauti za muundo wa ubongo. "" Levy anaonya kwamba matokeo hayazungumzi juu ya sababu. " "Hatujui kama mabadiliko ya muundo husababisha mabadiliko ya tabia au kinyume chake", alisema. "Lewy na timu yake walikuwa wameonyesha kwamba ""kuchukia hatari"" huongezeka watu wanapokuwa na umri, na sisi wanasayansi pia tunajua kwamba cortex hupungua kwa kiasi kikubwa na umri." "Inaweza kuwa kwamba kupungua hii inaelezea mabadiliko ya tabia; sasa tunapima uwezekano huo", alisema Levy, ambaye pia anasema kwamba masomo zaidi katika idadi kubwa ya watu yanahitajika. Utafiti huo ulifanywa na watafiti kutoka Chuo Kikuu cha Yale, Chuo Kikuu cha London, Chuo Kikuu cha New York, Chuo Kikuu cha Pennsylvania, na Chuo Kikuu cha Sydney, Australia. Mbali na Levy, waandishi ni pamoja na Sharon Gilaie-Dotan, Agnieszka Tymula, Nicole Cooper, Joseph W. Kable, na Paul W. Glimcher. Utafiti huo ulifadhiliwa na Taasisi ya Kitaifa ya Kuzeeka (R01AG034406) na jarida la Journal of Neuroscience (DOI 10.1523-JNOSCI 16.14).