Pre-publication: the effects of stress on decision-making

From Nature Precedings

hdl:10101/npre.2009.2923.1

For link to paper, click here.

Stress impairs decision-making in rats

Lauren K. Jones¹, Taejib Yoon¹, & Jeansok J. Kim²

Correspondence: (Login to view email address)

1. Department of Psychology, University of Washington
2. Department of Psychology and Program in Neurobiology & Behavior, University of Washington

PDF (232.8 KB)

Document Type:

Manuscript

Date:

Received 05 March 2009 02:48 UTC; Posted 05 March 2009

Subjects:

Neuroscience

Tags:

• foraging behaviour
• decision-making
• stress
• rat
• Amygdala

Abstract:

Stress influences various types of memory, but its effects on other cognitive functions are relatively unknown. We investigated the effects of uncontrollable stress on subsequent decision-making in rats, using a computer vision-based water foraging choice task. Stress impaired the animals’ ability to bias their responses toward the larger reward when transitioning from equal to unequal quantities, and this stress effect was dependent on the amygdala.