ReviewThe neuroscience of impulsive and self-controlled decisions
Section snippets
Impulsivity and self-control as antagonistic choice dispositions
Virtually all living species frequently make decisions that promise a benefit on the short run, but turn out to be detrimental on the long run. At the same time, humans and other animals have developed more or less efficient ways to manage the temptation of instant gratification whenever the immediate outcomes of a choice are less desirable than the future prospects. The two dispositions that govern decisions about future consequences are called ‘impulsivity’ and ‘self-control’. To simplify
Decision networks in the pigeon
Despite our increasing knowledge about the anatomy and pharmacology of impulsiveness and self-control, the underlying brain mechanisms are still mainly unidentified. Since pigeons have been the most frequently used species in psychological research to reveal the behavioural processes underlying this type of decision making, they are a suitable animal model to investigate the neuroscience of impulsivity/self-control. In our lab, we have therefore conducted several choice experiments using
List of abbreviations
- 5-HT
serotonin
- BLA
basolateral amygdala
- DA
dopamine
- LI-key
long interval key
- mPFC
medial prefrontal cortex
- NAc
nucleus accumbens
- NCL
nidopallium caudolaterale
- OFC
orbitofrontal cortex
- PFC
prefrontal cortex
- SI-key
short interval key
- STA
subthalamic nucleus
- TTX
tetrodotoxin
- VMPFC
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
Acknowledgements
Some elements of this review are part of the diploma thesis of TO, and the PhD thesis of TK. TK was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft through the priority programme ‘Executive Functions’ (DFG SPP 1107). We would like to thank our colleagues, in particular Dr. Sabine Windmann and Dr. Bettina Diekamp, for their tireless readiness to help at all times and for all the invaluable discussions.
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