Search

Behavioral decision making tasks are common in research settings, with only the Iowa Gambling Task available for clinical assessments. However, correlations among these tasks are low, indicating each may assess a distinct component of decision making. In addition, it is unclear whether these tasks are sensitive to invalid performance or even simulated impairment. The present study examined relationships among decision making tasks and whether simulated impairment moderates the relationships among them. Across two studies (Study 1: n  = 166, Study 2: n  = 130), undergraduate student participants were asked to try their best or to simulate a specific diagnosis (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder; Study 1), decision making impairment (Study 2), or general cognitive impairment (Study 2). They then completed a battery of tests including embedded and standalone performance validity tests (PVTs) and three behavioral decision making tasks. Across studies, participants simulating impairment were not distinguishable from controls on any of the behavioral tasks. Few significant correlations emerged among tasks across studies and the pattern of relationships between tasks did not differ on the basis of simulator or PVT failure status. Collectively, our findings suggest that these tasks may not be vulnerable to simulated cognitive impairment, and that the tasks measure largely non-overlapping aspects of decision making.

Patients affected by Parkinson's disease (PD) display a tendency toward making risky choices in value-based conditions. Possible causes may encompass the pathophysiologic characteristics of PD that affect neural structures pivotal for decision making (DM) and the dopaminergic medications that may bias choices. Nevertheless, excluding patients with concurrent impulse control disorders, results are few and mixed. Conversely, other factors, such as individual differences (e.g., emotional state, impulsivity, consideration for future consequences) and cognitive functioning, in particular executive functions (EFs), are involved, even though few studies investigated their possible role. The present study investigated (1) the differences in value-based DM between 33 patients with PD without impulse control disorders and 33 matched healthy controls, and (2) the relationships among decisional performances, EFs, and individual differences in a group of 42 patients with PD who regularly undertake dopaminergic medications. All participants underwent an individual assessment to investigate value-based DM, cognitive abilities, and individual differences associated with DM. Nonparametric analyses showed the presence of riskier decisions in patients compared with healthy controls, depending on the characteristics of the decisional situation. Moreover, parameters of the decisional tasks involving the number of risky choices were significantly related to the posology of dopaminergic medications, EFs, and individual differences. Findings were discussed, highlighting possible clinical implications., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Studies have demonstrated that the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) extensively affects brain function. Although cognitive dysfunction is considered a common manifestation in COVID-19 patients during the recovery period, the potential changes in decision-making ability, are not yet clear. Decision-making functions are essential to the work of healthcare workers. However, there is a lack of a multidimensional assessment of its functioning in COVID-19 cases. Here, we used tests combined with the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) stabilization feature amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) to explore decision-making behavior and brain neural activity changes in healthcare workers after mild COVID-19. Participants were divided into the SARS-CoV-2 infected group (SI, n = 41) and healthy controls (HC, n = 42). All participants underwent a series of neuropsychological tests. They performed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Game of Dice Task (GDT), followed by fMRI (n = 20) to assess their decision-making ability under ambiguous and risky conditions and changes in brain neural activity. The SI group performed worse in verbal memory than the HC group. Furthermore, the SI group performed worse in the IGT, whereas no significant difference was observed in the GDT. In addition, rs-fMRI showed enhanced spontaneous neural activity in the postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobe in the SI group compared to the HC group., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction : Previous research has suggested that individual differences in executive functions, memory and reinforcement sensitivity are associated with performance on behavioral decision-making tasks. Decision-making performance may also decline with age, however there is a lack of research on the interplay of cognitive and affective processes, and their impact on older adult decision-making. This study examined associations between executive functions, memory and reinforcement sensitivity on the Game of Dice Task (a measure of decision-making under explicit risk) among older adults. Method : One thousand and two older adults without cognitive impairment (aged 72-78 years) participated as part of an Australian longitudinal cohort study (the Personality and Total Health Through Life study). Decision-making sub-types were identified through cluster analysis and multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations with measures of cognition and reinforcement sensitivity. Results : Cluster analysis identified three decision-making sub-types, which we label "advantageous," "disadvantageous" and "switching." Multivariate analyses found that relative to the mid-performing "switching" sub-type, advantageous decision-makers were more likely to be younger, male and have higher scores on a test of verbal learning. Disadvantageous decision-makers were more likely to have poorer scores on some components of executive function (set shifting, but not working memory or inhibitory control), although this effect was partly attenuated by a measure of reinforcement sensitivity (reward responsiveness). Conclusion : These results indicate that specific components of learning and executive functions are influential in decision-making under explicit risk among a sample of older adults.

Traditional repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation can only produce a significant but weak effect on the cortex while theta burst stimulation (TBS), a patterned accelerated form of stimulation, can produce a stronger poststimulation effect, which may improve decision-making abilities. We designed a comparative assessment of the effect of intermittent TBS (iTBS), 20 Hz, in two risk decision-making tasks on healthy controls. Participants were randomized and assigned to the iTBS (n = 29), 20 Hz (n = 29), or sham (n = 29) groups. The effects of the different methods of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex stimulation on risk decision-making functions were compared based on subjects' performance in the Game of Dice Task (GDT) and Risky Gains Task (RGT). The main indicators were positive and negative feedback utilization rates of GDT and RGT. Both iTBS and 20 Hz stimulation resulted in significant improvements upon negative feedback in the GDT, with increases in safe options and reductions in risky options; iTBS stimulation increased subjects' use of positive feedback in the GDT and RGT (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, the iTBS group had a stronger feedback risk reduction effect than the 20 Hz or sham group following RGT negative feedback (p < 0.05). Individuals would integrate positive and negative information more efficiently, leading to them making rational choices after excitatory transcranial magnetic stimulation. Moreover, iTBS has a stronger risk reduction effect following negative feedback than the 20Hz stimulation did. In summary, iTBS might have clinical value in decision promotion., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: The cognitive processing in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) has not been well established. Decision-making is an important component of cognitive function. Most brain regions involved in decision-making are abnormal in FD patients. This study aimed to investigate the decision-making under ambiguity and risk in FD patients., Methods: We recruited 40 FD patients meeting Rome III criteria and 40 healthy controls (HCs) matched for age, sex, marital status, and education level. The Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and the 17-item Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD-17) were used to evaluate their anxiety and depression emotions. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT) were used to evaluate decision-making under ambiguity and risk, respectively. Helicobacter pylori status, disease duration, dyspeptic symptom score, and the Nepean Dyspepsia Life Quality Index (NDLQI) were obtained from all patients., Results: In IGT, FD patients had a lower total net score, chose more adverse choices, and showed a slower response to change their behavior than HCs. However, there was no significant difference in the net score of the first 2 blocks between the two groups. In GDT, FD patients had a lower total net score, higher risk score, and lower use of negative feedback than HCs. In addition, FD patients showed better GDT performance than those without early satiation., Conclusions: FD patients showed impaired decision-making under risk. The deficiency might be related to dyspeptic symptoms of FD patients.

Background and Aims: Individuals with heroin addiction are prone to dysfunctional decision-making. They frequently choose the short-term rewarding option of drug intake despite experiencing long-term negative consequences. Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is the most common treatment of heroin addiction., Methods: In this study, 38 individuals in an early stage of abstinence from heroin addiction (ESA-HA individuals) at the end of inpatient detoxification treatment and 41 individuals in long-term OMT were examined. Decision-making was assessed by (I) a modified version of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) with drug-related stimuli focusing on decision-making under ambiguity and (II) the Game of Dice Task (GDT) assessing decision-making under objective risk., Results: OMT-individuals showed significantly better performance in the IGT than the ESA-HA-individuals. They also showed significantly less craving under exposure of drug-related pictures. In the GDT, OMT-individuals showed significantly less risky decision-making than ESA-HA-individuals., Conclusion: The results suggest that patients receiving OMT show better functional decision-making and lower craving reactions. It could be assumed that the effectiveness of OMT in preventing relapse is linked to better decision-making and lower craving among these patients., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Making advantageous decisions is a key competence of individuals of all ages. However, previous studies reported a reduction of this competence in patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, which is explained by impairments of executive functions such as cognitive flexibility or working memory. While previous findings from healthy participants with reduced executive functions showed that support can improve decision making under risk, the study at hand aimed to investigate this effect in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease (mAD)., Method: A group of elderly individuals diagnosed with mAD (n = 14; mean Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE = 24.14, SD = 3.18) and a group of healthy age-matched controls (n = 14; mean MMSE = 29.29, SD = 1.98) performed the Game of Dice Task (GDT) three times (t 0 , t 1, t 2 ) with intervals of five to nine days between each: The standard GDT plus other neurocognitive tasks (t 0 ), the GDT with decision support (t 1 ), and again the standard GDT (t 2 )., Results: At any time, mAD patients made more disadvantageous decisions than controls. However, the decision-making performance of mAD patients improved significantly with decision support. Interestingly, when the standard GDT was played again (t 2 ), mAD patients' performance remained similar to the performance in the GDT with decision support (t 1 ). GDT performance correlated consistently with executive function measures in the control group, but only at t 0 in the mAD group., Conclusions: The findings indicate that supportive information about the riskiness of options can compensate for mAD-related deficits in decision making under risk. Thus, decision support can improve the quality of mAD patients' decisions. Further, it may prevent mAD patients from making highly risky decisions in similar situations in the future. The persistence of decision support should be further investigated as it has relevant implications for everyday decisions that include risks.

Objective: To examine test-retest reliability of common behavioral decision making tasks., Method: A total of 98 undergraduate students completed two administrations of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), Columbia Card Task (CCT), and Game of Dice Task (GDT), three weeks apart., Results: The BART, CCT, and GDT showed moderately strong correlations across time. On the IGT, no correlations were seen between Time 1 Trials 1-40 and Time 2 performance; however, weak correlations were observed between Time 1 Trials 41-100 and Time 2 performance. Paired-samples t-tests indicated participants were riskier at Time 1 than Time 2 on the IGT and GDT, but riskier at Time 2 on the BART., Conclusions: The BART, CCT, and GDT showed moderate test-retest reliability, with the IGT showing weak reliability during the decision making under risk trials only. Implications for repeated test administration in clinical and non-clinical settings are discussed., (© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: A number of neuropsychological alterations have been found in patients who have attempted suicide. Most studies investigating decision making (DM) abilities in suicide attempters so far have used one single DM task and included patients with a lifetime history of suicide attempts. These studies have yielded conflicting results., Method: In this study, currently depressed in-patients who had a recent suicide attempt (within the last six months) (n = 21), depressed in-patients without a lifetime history of suicide attempts (n = 31) and a healthy control group (n = 26) were assessed with two tasks for the assessment of DM. The Game of Dice Task (GDT) measures DM under risk and the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) DM under ambiguity. Further, depression severity, impulsiveness and suicidal intent of the current suicide attempt were assessed., Results: Both depressed groups differed from controls with respect to marital and partnership status, smoking, impulsiveness and psychiatric family history. In terms of DM, IGT scores did not differ significantly between groups. However, suicide attempters made significantly more risky decisions as assessed with the GDT than both control groups (p < 0.05 for pairwise comparisons, p = 0.065 for overall comparison of the 3 groups)., Limitations: The available tasks assess DM under laboratory conditions which may not reflect the emotional status of suicidal individuals. No general cognitive assessment was included., Conclusions: Depressed suicide attempters differed with regard to DM under risk but not DM under ambiguity. When studying DM it appears crucial to take varying aspects of DM into account., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The patients with Graves' thyroitoxicosis often complain that they have neuropsychiatric symptoms and impaired cognitive function. Decision making is important and complex process involving the interaction and integration of a series of cognitive components. In the 31 newly diagnosed patients with Graves' thyroitoxicosis and 30 healthy controls, we used the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and The Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess the emotion and decision making under risky conditions. The patients with Graves' disease had higher score on HAMA and HAMD, and had poorer performance in GDT than healthy controls. A negative correlation was found between utilization of negative feedback and score of HAMA in the patients with Graves' disease. Our findings in Graves' disease might be association with the extensive brain disorders including prefrontal cortex and the limbic system, and dopamine dysfunction., (Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: Deficits in decision-making have been suggested as a key concept in understanding the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, evidence in the extant literature remains inconclusive on whether patients with OCD show inferior performance on laboratory decision-making tasks. The aims of the present study were therefore to (1) assess decision-making under ambiguity and under risk in patients with OCD and (2) study the influence of neuropsychological and clinical variables on decision-making in OCD., Methods: The sample consisted of 65 patients with OCD and 58 controls. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) and the game of dice task (GDT) were used to examine decision-making under ambiguity and decision-making under risk, respectively. In addition, reversal learning and executive function were assessed in terms of their relationship with decision-making tasks., Results: Patients with OCD showed impairment in the IGT, but not in the GDT. Reversal learning was neither impaired nor correlated with IGT performance. Among the clinical variables, illness severity and depression were associated with IGT scores. Executive function was impaired, but no significant relationship was found between executive function and GDT performance in OCD patients., Limitations: Almost all OCD patients were on medication when they performed decision-making tasks., Conclusions: Patients with OCD are impaired in decision-making under ambiguity, but not under risk. These findings demonstrate that decision-making processes are dissociated in OCD., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Evidence in the literature suggests that executive dysfunction is regarded as an endophenotype candidate for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Decision making is an important domain of executive function. However, few studies that have investigated whether decision making is a potential endophenotype for OCD have produced inconsistent results. Differences in the findings across these studies may be attributed to several factors: different study materials, comorbidity, medication, etc. There are at least two types of decision making that differ mainly in the degree of uncertainty and how much useful information about consequences and their probabilities are provided to the decision maker: decision making under ambiguity and decision making under risk. The aim of the present study was to simultaneously examine decision making under ambiguity as assessed by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and decision making under risk as measured by the Game of Dice Task (GDT) in OCD patients and their unaffected first-degree relative (UFDR) for the first time. The study analyzed 55 medication-naïve, non-depressed OCD patient probands, 55 UFDRs of the OCD patients and 55 healthy matched comparison subjects (CS) without a family history of OCD with the IGT, the GDT and a neuropsychological test battery. While the OCD patients and the UFDRs performed worse than the CS on the IGT, they were unimpaired on the GDT. Our study supports the claim that decision making under ambiguity differs from decision making under risk and suggests that dissociation of decision making under ambiguity and decision making under risk may qualify to be a neurocognitive endophenotypes for OCD., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) can affect the frontal-striatal brain regions, which are known to subserve decision-making functions. Previous studies have reported impaired decision making among HIV+ individuals using the Iowa Gambling Task, a task that assesses decision making under ambiguity. Previous study populations often had significant comorbidities such as past or present substance use disorders and/or hepatitis C virus coinfection, complicating conclusions about the unique contributions of HIV-infection to decision making. Decision making under explicit risk has very rarely been examined in HIV+ individuals and was tested here using the Game of Dice Task (GDT)., Method: We examined decision making under explicit risk in the GDT in 20 HIV+ individuals without substance use disorder or HCV coinfection, including a demographically matched healthy control group (n = 20). Groups were characterized on a standard neuropsychological test battery. For the HIV+ group, several disease-related parameters (viral load, current and nadir CD4 T-cell count) were included. Analyses focused on the GDT and spanned between-group (t-tests; analysis of covariance, ANCOVA) as well as within-group comparisons (Pearson/Spearman correlations)., Results: HIV+ individuals were impaired in the GDT, compared to healthy controls (p = .02). Their decision-making impairments were characterized by less advantageous choices and more random choice strategies, especially towards the end of the task. Deficits in the GDT in the HIV+ group were related to executive dysfunctions, slowed processing/motor speed, and current immune system status (CD4+ T-cell levels, ps < .05)., Conclusions: Decision making under explicit risk in the GDT can occur in HIV-infected individuals without comorbidities. The correlational patterns may point to underlying fronto-subcortical dysfunctions in HIV+ individuals. The GDT provides a useful measure to assess risky decision making in this population and should be tested in larger studies.

Previous studies have shown that children and adolescents often tend toward risky decisions despite explicit knowledge about the potential negative consequences. This phenomenon has been suggested to be associated with the immaturity of brain areas involved in cognitive control functions. Particularly, "frontal lobe functions," such as executive functions and reasoning, mature until young adulthood and are thought to be involved in age-related changes in decision making under explicit risk conditions. We investigated 112 participants, aged 8-19 years, with a frequently used task assessing decisions under risk, the Game of Dice Task (GDT). Additionally, we administered the Modified Card Sorting Test assessing executive functioning (categorization, cognitive flexibility, and strategy maintenance) as well as the Ravens Progressive Matrices assessing reasoning. The results showed that risk taking in the GDT decreased with increasing age and this effect was not moderated by reasoning but by executive functions: Particularly, young persons with weak executive functioning showed very risky decision making. Thus, the individual maturation of executive functions, associated with areas in the prefrontal cortex, seems to be an important factor in young peoples' behavior in risky decision-making situations.

Internet gaming addiction (IGA) is an increasing mental health issue worldwide. Previous studies have revealed decision-making impairments in excessive Internet gamers (EIGs) with high symptoms of IGA. However, the role of feedback processing in decision-making deficits among EIGs remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of feedback processing on decision-making deficits under risk among EIGs, using the Game of Dice Task (GDT) and a modified version of the GDT in which no feedback was provided. Twenty-six EIGs and 26 matched occasional Internet gamers (OIGs) were recruited. The results showed: (a) OIGs performed better on the original GDT than on the modified GDT (no feedback condition); however, EIGs performed similarly on both tasks; (b) EIGs and OIGs performed equally on the modified GDT; however, EIGs chose more disadvantageous options than OIGs on the original GDT; (c) EIGs utilized feedback less frequently on the original GDT relative to OIGs. These results suggest that EIGs are not able to utilize feedback to optimize their decisions, which could underlie their poor decision-making under risk., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess decision-making under explicit risk conditions in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients and its relationship to decisions made under conditions of ambiguity. To assess cognitive functions related to decision-making performance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS)., Setting: MS center in Buenos Aires, Argentina., Participants: 27 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis and 27 sex-matched, age-matched and education-matched healthy controls., Intervention: Neuropsychological assessment and decision-making evaluation using the Game of Dice Task and the Iowa Gambling Task., Outcomes: Game of Dice Task and the Iowa Gambling Task scores., Results: Patients with MS showed significantly poorer performance on the Game of Dice Task, choosing disadvantageous dice more often (p=0.019), as well as significantly lower overall scores in the Iowa Gambling Task (p=0.007). Block analysis showed that patients with MS and controls had scores that were comparable for blocks 1 and 2 (p=0.15 and p=0.24, respectively). Conversely, patients with MS scored poorly on blocks 4 (p=0.003) and 5 (p=0.023), the last two of the test, corresponding to decision-making under conditions of risk. Finally, the Game of Dice Task performance together with the last three blocks of the Iowa Gambling Task were correlated with visuospatial learning, processing speed and working memory but not with executive functioning., Conclusions: Patients with MS showed deficits in decision-making under risk conditions, which might be related to deficits in visuospatial learning, processing speed and working memory., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

The selective estrogen receptor modulator tamoxifen (TAM) is most commonly prescribed for patients with hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Although TAM can bind to estrogen receptors in the nervous system, it is unknown whether it acts as an estrogen agonist or antagonist in the human brain. Several studies have reported the negative effects of TAM on cognitive function; however, its effects on decision-making function have not been previously explored. The present study aimed to investigate the decision-making function under ambiguity and risk in breast cancer patients treated with TAM. Participants included breast cancer patients taking TAM (TAM, n=47) and breast cancer patients not taking TAM (non-TAM, n=45) as well as their matched healthy controls (HC, n=50). All participants were given the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess their decision-making under conditions involving ambiguity, the Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess their decision-making under conditions involving risk, and a battery of neuropsychological tests. Our results indicated that patients in the TAM group were significantly impaired as assessed by both the IGT and GDT and performed significantly worse on some aspects of various tasks involving memory and information processing. Furthermore, we found that decreased performance on verbal memory testing significantly correlated with IGT performance, and executive dysfunction was associated with poor GDT performance in breast cancer patients undergoing TAM treatment. This study demonstrates that breast cancer patients taking TAM have several decision-making impairments. These findings may support the idea that TAM resulting in cognitive changes plays an antagonistic role in the areas of the brain where estrogen receptors are present, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Impairment of decision making in relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis is still controversial, and its neuropsychological correlates have never been explored thoroughly, especially in patients with minimal physical and cognitive deficits. In the present study we investigated the cognitive underpinnings of decision making under ambiguous and explicit conditions in patients with very mild relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis, using a dice and a card gambling game., Method: The study sample included 60 patients and 35 healthy subjects. In the Game of Dice Task, winning and losing probabilities are obvious to the subject, while in the Iowa Gambling Task they are initially ambiguous and have to be gradually identified. Performance at the two tasks was correlated with scores obtained at tests investigating cognitive processing speed, memory, language and executive functions., Results: Patients' performance did not differ from that of controls at either gambling task. There was only a trend for them to be significantly slower than healthy subjects in progressively recognizing advantageous decks in the Iowa Gambling Task. While the Game of Dice was unrelated to neuropsychological tests, predictors of performance at the Iowa task were Letter Fluency and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test for the initial, under-ambiguity, trials and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test for the last, purely under-risk, trials., Conclusions: Our results suggest that high-functioning patients with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis are substantially capable of making advantageous decisions, even if they may be slower in processing options and shifting strategy when selection criteria are not explicit.

In neuropsychological decision-making research, several different tasks are used to measure decision-making competences in patients and healthy study participants. Unfortunately, the existing tasks are often inflexible for modification, use different scenarios, and include several gambling cues. Therefore, comparisons between participants' performances in different tasks are difficult. We developed the Truck Dispatcher Framework (TDF), in which different decision-making tasks can be designed within one unitary, flexible, and real-world-oriented story line. To test the story line, TDF analogues of three standard decision-making tasks (Game of Dice Task, Probability-Associated Gambling task, Iowa Gambling Task) were developed. In three studies with brain-healthy participants, the behavior in standard decision-making tasks and the TDF analogues of those tasks were compared. Similar behaviors indicate that the TDF tasks measure decision making appropriately. Thus, the TDF is recommended for experimental and clinical research because it allows for examining decision-making competences in tasks with different demands that take place within one unitary story line.

There is evidence that women with breast cancer show a cognitive impairment after having undergone chemotherapy treatment; this cognitive impairment may result in behavioral deficits. However, the neural mechanism of this cognitive impairment remains unclear. The present study investigated the neural basis of the cognitive impairment caused by chemotherapy treatment by exploring the decision-making function of the executive subcomponents under ambiguity and risk in breast cancer survivors. Participants included breast cancer patients who had undergone chemotherapy (CT, N=63) or patients who did not undergo chemotherapy (non-CT, N=62), as well as matched healthy controls (HC, N=61). All participants were examined using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess their decision-making under ambiguity, the Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess their decision-making under risk and neuropsychological background tests. Our results indicated that during the IGT test, the chemotherapy-treated breast cancer patients selected from the disadvantageous decks with a higher frequency than the non-treated breast cancer patients or healthy controls, whereas all three groups performed at the same level when performing the GDT. The CT group demonstrated significantly lower scores in several cognitive tasks, including attention, memory, executive functions and cognitive processing, when compared with the other two groups. In addition, within the CT group, significant correlations were found between the IGT performance and information processing, as well as with working memory. This study demonstrated that breast cancer survivors treated with chemotherapy may have selective reductions in IGT performance but unimpaired GDT performance and that these deficits may result from dysfunctions in the limbic loop rather than in the dorsolateral prefrontal loop., (© 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Study Objectives: To assess whether the frequency of impulse control disorders (ICDs), addictive behaviors, impulsivity, and impairment of decision-making task performance under ambiguous and risky conditions were present in patients with restless legs syndrome (RLS) and whether changes could be related to dopaminergic medications., Design: Case-control prospective study., Setting: Academic Sleep Disorders Center., Participants: Of the 149 participants, there were 39 who were drug free with primary RLS, 50 who were taking dopamine agonists (DA), and 60 control subjects. Participants were assessed with a clinical interview screening for ICDs, augmentation syndrome, impulsivity, depression, and addictive behaviors. All participants completed two decision-making tasks, one under an ambiguous condition (Iowa Gambling Task) and the other under a risky condition (Game of Dice Task). Drug-free patients with RLS underwent 1 night of polysomnography recording., Measurements and Results: Seventy percent of patients were treated with pramipexole (median dose, 0.36 mg), and 30% with ropinirole (median dose, 0.75 mg). Median duration of DA intake was 11 mo (range, 1-72 mo). No differences were found on impulsivity scores, ICDs, and substance addiction between drug-free patients or those taking DA, or control subjects. Patients with RLS reported more depressive symptoms than control subjects, but without differences between patients taking or not taking DA. Drug-free and treated patients demonstrated reduced performances on the Iowa Gambling Task but not on the Game of Dice Task compared to control subjects, with no differences between patients taking medications and those who were not. No association was found between decision-making task performances, or polysomnographic and clinical variables., Conclusion: Impulse control disorders, impulsivity, and substance addiction were infrequent in drug-free patients with restless legs syndrome or those treated with a low dose of dopamine agonists. However, patients with restless legs syndrome, either drug free or taking dopamine agonists, had preferences toward risky choices on the Iowa Gambling Task, which led to negative consequences in the long run, a condition potentially leading to further development of impulse control disorders.

Objectives: To investigate decision-making and addictive behaviors in narcolepsy-cataplexy (NC). NC is caused by the loss of hypothalamic neurons that produce hypocretins. The hypocretin system plays a crucial role in sleep, wakefulness, and energy homeostasis, and is also involved in emotion regulation, reward processing, and addiction., Setting: Academic sleep center., Patients: 23 subject with NC and 23 matched healthy controls., Design: We used the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) to assess decision making under ambiguity condition based on emotional feedback processing and the Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess decision making under risk condition. All participants underwent a semi-structured psychiatric interview and completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale. Patients underwent one night of polysomnography followed by an MSLT, with neuropsychological evaluation performed between MSLT sessions., Measurements and Results: NC patients had higher depressive symptoms and showed a significant lack of perseverance. One NC patient had a past history of drug dependence. NC patients also exhibited selective reduced IGT performance and normal performance on the GDT. No clinical or polysomnographic characteristics were associated with increased sensitivity to reward and/or decreased sensitivity to punishment. However, lack of perseverance in NC patients was associated with disadvantageous decision making on the IGT., Conclusion: We demonstrated a lack of perseverance and a selective reduced performance on decision making under ambiguity in NC in contrast to normal decision making under explicit conditions. Patients with narcolepsy-cataplexy may opt for choices with higher immediate emotional valence, regardless of higher future punishment, to compensate for their reduced reactivity to emotional stimuli.

Although awareness regarding patients with mild traumatic brain injury has increased, they have not received sufficient attention in clinics; hence, many patients still experience only partial recovery. Deficits in decision‐making function are frequently experienced by these patients. Accurate identification of impairment in the early stages after brain injury is particularly crucial for timely intervention and the prevention of long‐term cognitive consequences. Therefore, we investigated the changes in decision‐making ability under tasks of ambiguity and risk in patients with mild traumatic brain injury with a rule‐based neuropsychological paradigm. In this study, patients (n = 39) and matched healthy controls (n = 38) completed general neuropsychological background tests and decision‐making tasks (Iowa Gambling Task and Game of Dice Task). We found that patients had extensive cognitive impairment in general attention, memory and information processing speed in the subacute phase, and confirmed that patients had different degrees of impairment in decision‐making abilities under ambiguity and risk. Furthermore, the decline of memory and executive function may be related to decision‐making dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Previous research has indicated that cognition and executive function are associated with decision-making, however the impact of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on decision-making under explicit risk conditions is unclear. This cross-sectional study examined the impact of MCI, and MCI subtypes, on decision-making on the Game of Dice Task (GDT), among a cohort of older adults. Method: Data from 245 older adult participants (aged 72–78 years) from the fourth assessment of the Personality and Total Health Through Life study were analyzed. A diagnostic algorithm identified 103 participants with MCI, with subtypes of single-domain amnestic MCI (aMCI-single; n = 38), multi-domain amnestic MCI (aMCI-multi; n = 31), and non-amnestic MCI (n = 33), who were compared with an age-, sex-, education-, and income-matched sample of 142 cognitively unimpaired older adults. Decision-making scores on the GDT (net score, single number choices, and strategy changes) were compared between groups using nonparametric tests. Results: Participants with MCI showed impaired performance on the GDT, with higher frequencies of single number choices and strategy changes. Analyses comparing MCI subtypes indicated that the aMCI-multi subtype showed increased frequency of single number choices compared to cognitively unimpaired participants. Across the sample of participants, decision-making scores were associated with measures of executive function (cognitive flexibility and set shifting). Conclusion: MCI is associated with impaired decision-making performance under explicit risk conditions. Participants with impairments in multiple domains of cognition showed the clearest impairments. The GDT may have utility in discriminating between MCI subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision making (DM) has a pivotal role in supporting individual autonomy and well-being. It is considered a complex ability exploiting many cognitive functions, among which executive functions (EFs) are crucial. Few studies analyzed the role played by EFs in DM in healthy adults under ambiguity and risk, which are common conditions for most decisions in daily life. This scoping review aims to analyze the relationships between two individual tasks widely used to assess DM under these conditions (Iowa Gambling Task and Game of Dice Task) and EFs. According to the organizing principle that conceptualizes hot and cold EFs, DM under such conditions mainly implies hot EFs, but the relationship with cold EFs is still unclear. Using such an approach, a comprehensive framework is provided, highlighting main findings and identifying possible gaps in the literature. The results suggest different roles played by cold EFs in DM under ambiguity and risk, according to the characteristics of the tasks. The findings can offer guidance to further studies and to design interventions to support DM in healthy adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Numerous studies have identified impaired decision making (DM) under both ambiguity and risk in adult patients with schizophrenia. However, the assessment of DM in patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) has been challenging as a result of the instability and heterogeneity of manifestations. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT), which are frequently used to evaluate DM respectively under ambiguity and risk, are sensitive to adolescents and neuropsychiatric patients. Our research intended to examine the performance of DM in a relatively large sample of patients with AOS using the above-mentioned two tasks. We also aimed to take a closer look at the relationship between DM and symptom severity of schizophrenia. Methods We compared the performance of DM in 71 patients with AOS and 53 well-matched healthy controls using IGT for DM under ambiguity and GDT for DM under risk through net scores, total scores and feedback ration. Neuropsychological tests were conducted in all participants. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 71 patients with AOS. Pearson’s correlation revealed the relationship among total score of DM and clinical and neuropsychological data. Results Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS failed to show learning effect and had a significant difference on the 5th block in IGT and conducted more disadvantageous choices as well as exhibited worse negative feedback rate in GDT. Apart from DM impairment under risk, diminished DM abilities under ambiguity were found related to poor executive function in AOS in the present study. Conclusions Our findings unveiled the abnormal pattern of DM in AOS, mainly reflected under the risky condition, extending the knowledge on the performance of DM under ambiguity and risk in AOS. Inefficient DM under risk may account for the lagging impulse control and the combined effects of developmental disease. In addition, our study demonstrated that the performance on IGT was related to executive function in AOS.

Decision making (DM) has a pivotal role in supporting individual autonomy and well-being. It is considered a complex ability exploiting many cognitive functions, among which executive functions (EFs) are crucial. Few studies analyzed the role played by EFs in DM in healthy adults under ambiguity and risk, which are common conditions for most decisions in daily life. This scoping review aims to analyze the relationships between two individual tasks widely used to assess DM under these conditions (Iowa Gambling Task and Game of Dice Task) and EFs. According to the organizing principle that conceptualizes hot and cold EFs, DM under such conditions mainly implies hot EFs, but the relationship with cold EFs is still unclear. Using such an approach, a comprehensive framework is provided, highlighting main findings and identifying possible gaps in the literature. The results suggest different roles played by cold EFs in DM under ambiguity and risk, according to the characteristics of the tasks. The findings can offer guidance to further studies and to design interventions to support DM in healthy adults.

Objective: Numerous studies have identified impaired decision making (DM) under both ambiguity and risk in adult patients with schizophrenia. However, the assessment of DM in patients with adolescent-onset schizophrenia (AOS) has been challenging as a result of the instability and heterogeneity of manifestations. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and Game of Dice Task (GDT), which are frequently used to evaluate DM respectively under ambiguity and risk, are sensitive to adolescents and neuropsychiatric patients. Our research intended to examine the performance of DM in a relatively large sample of patients with AOS using the above-mentioned two tasks. We also aimed to take a closer look at the relationship between DM and symptom severity of schizophrenia. Methods: We compared the performance of DM in 71 patients with AOS and 53 well-matched healthy controls using IGT for DM under ambiguity and GDT for DM under risk through net scores, total scores and feedback ration. Neuropsychological tests were conducted in all participants. Clinical symptoms were evaluated by using Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) in 71 patients with AOS. Pearson's correlation revealed the relationship among total score of DM and clinical and neuropsychological data. Results: Compared to healthy controls, patients with AOS failed to show learning effect and had a significant difference on the 5th block in IGT and conducted more disadvantageous choices as well as exhibited worse negative feedback rate in GDT. Apart from DM impairment under risk, diminished DM abilities under ambiguity were found related to poor executive function in AOS in the present study. Conclusions: Our findings unveiled the abnormal pattern of DM in AOS, mainly reflected under the risky condition, extending the knowledge on the performance of DM under ambiguity and risk in AOS. Inefficient DM under risk may account for the lagging impulse control and the combined effects of developmental disease. In addition, our study demonstrated that the performance on IGT was related to executive function in AOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The neural mechanism underlying decision‐making, which is an important component of executive function, is complex and not fully understood. Few studies have directly investigated the two types of decision‐making functions – under ambiguity and under risk – in patients with brain tumors in different brain regions. Methods: Participants were classified into the ventral prefrontal cortex tumor group (VPFC, n = 27), the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex tumor group (DLPFC, n = 29), and matched healthy controls (HCs, n = 32). All participants were given a battery of neuropsychological tests, and they then performed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Game of Dice Task (GDT) to assess their decision‐making under ambiguity and under risk, respectively. Results: The two patient groups performed significantly worse on attention, memory, information processing, and executive function. Additionally, patients in the DLPFC group performed significantly worse on the memory and information processing tests compared with the VPFC and HC groups. Conclusion: This study found that the decision‐making functions of participants in the VPFC and DLPFC tumor groups were impaired to varying degrees. Among them, there was decision‐making impairment under ambiguity and under risk in the VPFC group, and there was decision‐making impairment under risk in the DLPFC group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Huntington’s disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary, jerky movements, incoordination, behavioral changes and subtle executive and cognitive impairment starting before motor symptoms. Our study aimed to assess the risky decision-making process in premanifest (pre) HD subjects, by means Game of Dice Task (GDT). As dependent variables, several GDT outcomes have been taken into consideration. We recruited 30 subjects (15 females) with preHD (i.e., Diagnosis Confidence Level < 4; Total Motor Score < 10), and 21 age, gender and education matched neurologically normal subjects (11 females). GDT is a computer-guided task where subjects are invited to watch the digits on which to bet and to evaluate the related potential risk to win or loss. Our results showed that decision and feedback times were longer in preHD than in neurologically normal group in both disadvantageous and advantageous choices. PreHD subjects provided a greater number of “safe” strategies, taken with longer decision-making time than neurologically normal subjects, showing a reduced propensity to risk. Such behavior, characterized by increased slowness in acting and providing answers, might contribute to delineate a behavioral and cognitive profile in preHD.

Psychopathy is a personality development disorder increasing the risk of antisocial behavior. Studies on the relationship between psychopathy and decision-making have received limited attention and the result of studies is mixed. A present study examines whether or not the different factors of psychopathy are related to decision-making under risk and ambiguity in offenders and how they are related. Also, the study investigates whether general intelligence is associated with decision-making or moderates the relationship between psychopathy and decision-making. The results showed that only antisocial factor of psychopathy significantly correlates with Game of Dice Task (GDT) risky selections, but there no general relation between psychopathy and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance. Lastly, general intelligence neither is related to decision-making under risk and ambiguity nor moderates the relationship between decision-making and psychopathy. The study results show that antisocial factor of psychopathy was associated with decision-making under risk rather than ambiguity. Our results also suggest that the antisocial factor of psychopathy was more related to executive dysfunction in offenders.

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized by involuntary, jerky movements, incoordination, behavioral changes and subtle executive and cognitive impairment starting before motor symptoms. Our study aimed to assess the risky decision-making process in premanifest (pre) HD subjects, by means Game of Dice Task (GDT). As dependent variables, several GDT outcomes have been taken into consideration. We recruited 30 subjects (15 females) with preHD (i.e., Diagnosis Confidence Level < 4; Total Motor Score < 10), and 21 age, gender and education matched neurologically normal subjects (11 females). GDT is a computer-guided task where subjects are invited to watch the digits on which to bet and to evaluate the related potential risk to win or loss. Our results showed that decision and feedback times were longer in preHD than in neurologically normal group in both disadvantageous and advantageous choices. PreHD subjects provided a greater number of "safe" strategies, taken with longer decision-making time than neurologically normal subjects, showing a reduced propensity to risk. Such behavior, characterized by increased slowness in acting and providing answers, might contribute to delineate a behavioral and cognitive profile in preHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Game of Dice Task (GDT; Brand et al. in Neuropsychology 19:267-277, 2005a; Psychiatry Res 133:91-99, 2005b) measures decision-making under objective risk conditions. Although disadvantageous decision-making has been shown in individuals with substance dependency, such as pathological dependency, any studies have been conducted with adolescents by using the GDT to investigate the relationship between the performance on the task and gambling behavior. Moreover, all the previous studies have considered only the GDT net score and not the single choices. In the current study, focusing on adolescents, we wanted to investigate the relationship between the sequence of the choices at the GDT and gambling behavior, measured with the SOGS-RA. To analyze the predictive power of the sequence of choices made in the GDT and problem gambling and gambling frequency, we used the Neural Networks (NNs), which are often used to find relationships between a series of input actions and the correspondent empirical outputs in order to discover behavioral patterns that may be predictive of at-risk behaviors. Results showed that neither a linear or a non-linear relationship could be detected between the GDT performance and the SOGS-RA classification both in terms of gambling problem severity and gambling frequency. Indeed, different training algorithms produced different performances of the NN on the training sets, but all of them showed a very low prediction capability on new samples. Thus, the performance at the GDT did not discriminate between adolescent gamblers with different and progressive levels of problematic gambling behavior and gambling frequency. Limitations and future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychopathy is a personality development disorder increasing the risk of antisocial behavior. Studies on the relationship between psychopathy and decision-making have received limited attention and the result of studies is mixed. A present study examines whether or not the different factors of psychopathy are related to decision-making under risk and ambiguity in offenders and how they are related. Also, the study investigates whether general intelligence is associated with decision-making or moderates the relationship between psychopathy and decision-making. The results showed that only antisocial factor of psychopathy significantly correlates with Game of Dice Task (GDT) risky selections, but there no general relation between psychopathy and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) performance. Lastly, general intelligence neither is related to decision-making under risk and ambiguity nor moderates the relationship between decision-making and psychopathy. The study results show that antisocial factor of psychopathy was associated with decision-making under risk rather than ambiguity. Our results also suggest that the antisocial factor of psychopathy was more related to executive dysfunction in offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic, disabling, mental disorder, which has been linked to significant abnormalities in certain brain areas, including the orbital frontal cortex and the anterior cingulate cortex. Neuroimaging studies have also shown that brain areas related to the decision-making function include the orbital frontal cortex and the dorsal prefrontal lobes. Furthermore, the association between OCD and decisionmaking function has been consistently demonstrated from a neurobiological perspective. Clinically, impaired decision-making ability is commonly observed in OCD patients, and there is a correlation between OCD and abnormal decision function. Decision-making tasks are typically divided into two types, decision-making under risk and decision-making under ambiguity, with the former commonly evaluated using the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the latter using the Game of Dice Task (GDT). In this article the neural mechanism and evaluation methods of decision making in OCD were reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and schizophrenia (SCH) share overlapping characteristics and may perform similarly on many cognitive tasks, cognitive dysfunctions common to both disorders do not necessarily share the same underlying mechanisms. Decision-making is currently a major research interest for both ASD and SCH. The aim of the present study was to make direct comparisons of decision-making and disorder-specific underlying neuropsychological mechanisms between the two disorders. Thirty-seven participants with ASD, 46 patients with SCH, and 80 healthy controls (HC) were assessed with the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT), which measures decision-making under ambiguity, and the Game of Dice Task (GDT), which measures decision-making under risk. The results revealed that both the ASD and SCH groups had deficits for both the IGT and the GDT compared with the HC. More importantly, in the IGT, participants with ASD displayed a preference for deck A, indicating that they had more sensitivity to the magnitude of loss than to the frequency of loss, whereas patients with SCH displayed a preference for deck B, indicating that they showed more sensitivity to the frequency of loss than to the magnitude of loss. In the GDT, the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in executive functions in patients with SCH, whereas the impaired performance might be due to the deficits in feedback processing in participants with ASD. These findings demonstrate that there are similar impairments in decision-making tasks between ASD and SCH; however, these two disorders may have different impairment mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Internet gaming addiction (IGA) is an increasing mental health issue worldwide. Previous studies have revealed decision-making impairments in excessive Internet gamers (EIGs) with high symptoms of IGA. However, the role of feedback processing in decision-making deficits among EIGs remains unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the effect of feedback processing on decision-making deficits under risk among EIGs, using the Game of Dice Task (GDT) and a modified version of the GDT in which no feedback was provided. Twenty-six EIGs and 26 matched occasional Internet gamers (OIGs) were recruited. The results showed: (a) OIGs performed better on the original GDT than on the modified GDT (no feedback condition); however, EIGs performed similarly on both tasks; (b) EIGs and OIGs performed equally on the modified GDT; however, EIGs chose more disadvantageous options than OIGs on the original GDT; © EIGs utilized feedback less frequently on the original GDT relative to OIGs. These results suggest that EIGs are not able to utilize feedback to optimize their decisions, which could underlie their poor decision-making under risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Lower scores reported on the Extraversion scale after decision-making tasks. [•] Pre-task measurements of the Big Five traits differed from the post-task ones. [•] The changes on the Extraversion trait correlated positively with ego-resiliency. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] The temporal dynamic of the effects of stress on decision making was tested. [•] Five or 18min of stress exposure caused less risky decision making. [•] In contrast, 28min after stress onset, decision making was more risky. [•] Moderate increases of catecholamines may be beneficial for decisions under risk. [•] Increasing cortisol concentrations may lead to riskier decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wilson's disease (WD) causes deposition of copper, mainly in the basal ganglia. One consequence of deposition seems to be impairment of executive functions, which could cause problems in decision making. In 30 WD patients and 30 healthy controls (HCs), we examined decision making under risk in the Game of Dice Task, and we assessed working memory and executive functions. WD patients exhibited a greater preference for disadvantageous choices than did HCs. Reduced decision-making performance was closely correlated to lower executive functions. Decision-making deficits of WD might be associated with frontostriatal loops, which are involved in executive functions and feedback processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal decision-making has been described as a key-concept to understand some behavioral disturbances in schizophrenia. However, whether schizophrenia patients display impairments in profitable decision-making on experimental designs is still controversial (1) to assess performance on decision-making paradigms under ambiguity and under risk conditions in a large sample of schizophrenia patients and (2) to study the impact of clinical variables on decision-making performance in schizophrenia. The Iowa gambling task (IGT) and the game of dice task (GDT) were administered to assess, respectively, decision-making under ambiguity and under risk in 63 schizophrenia patients and 67 healthy controls. In addition, clinical variables (e.g., schizophrenic symptoms, self-reported depression, and impulsivity) were evaluated using appropriate questionnaires the same day. Pharmacological treatments were reported. Schizophrenia patients had impaired performances on both IGT and GDT tasks. No correlation between the decision-making tasks performance and clinical variables was found. Lower gains on the GDT were associated with executive dysfunctioning in schizophrenia. These findings give evidence that schizophrenia patients display impairments in both decision-making under ambiguity and under risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and objectives: Risky decision making and disadvantageous choices constitute core characteristics of patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Consequences include negative psychosocial and health-related outcomes. However, risky decision making and its interrelations with emotional states in ADHD are poorly understood. Therefore, the authors investigated risky decision making without and after boredom induction in adults with and without ADHD. Methods: In study 1, ADHD patients (n = 15) and age/education matched controls (CG; n = 16) were compared on the Game of Dice Task (GDT), an established task measuring decision making in unambiguous situations. In study 2, ADHD patients (n = 14) and CG (n = 13) underwent boredom induction prior to the GDT. Results: In study 1, ADHD patients selected the disadvantageous alternatives significantly more often than CG. In study 2, no significant group differences were found due to an increase in risky decision making in CG following the boredom induction. Limitations: Even if severity of depression did not affect our results, it may be necessary to compare GDT responses in ADHD patients with and without current depression. Conclusions: Risk as a motor of disadvantageous decision making needs to be taken into account in therapeutic contexts as a maintenance factor of dysfunctional behaviour. The findings of study 2 are in line with postulated alterations of emotional state adjustment in ADHD. The link between decisions making and emotional regulation in ADHD needs further attention in research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Impulsivity is a core feature of borderline personality disorder (BPD). Thereby, individuals with BPD are most often explicitly aware of the deleterious long-term consequences of their impulsive behaviors, but still engage in them. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to test decision-making in BPD. Female individuals with BPD (n =21) and female controls without BPD (CG; n =29) were compared on the Game of Dice Task (GDT) with regard to disadvantageous decision-making and feedback processing. In the GDT rules for reinforcement and punishment are explicitly clear and the outcome is defined by probabilities. By providing feedback about the outcome of previous decisions, the GDT is a valid measure to simulate decision-making in real life situations. Main results revealed that women with BPD make risky decisions significantly more often than the CG. Moreover, they show reduced capacities to advantageously utilize feedback. As deficits in decision-making were correlated with BPD symptom severity and impulsivity, risky decision-making may be a relevant maintenance factor for the disorder. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

According to the Appraisal-Tendency Framework (Han, Lerner, & Keltner, 2007), certainty-associated emotions increase risk taking compared with uncertainty-associated emotions. To date, this general effect has only been shown in static judgement and decision-making paradigms; therefore, the present study tested the effect of certainty on risk taking in a sequential decision-making task. We hypothesised that the effect would be reversed due to the kind of processing involved, as certainty is considered to encourage heuristic processing that takes into account the emotional cues arising from previous decisions, whereas uncertainty leads to more systematic processing. One hundred and one female participants were induced to feel one of three emotions (film clips) before performing a decision-making task involving risk (Game of Dice Task; Brand et al., 2005). As expected, the angry and happy participants (certainty-associated emotions) were more likely than the fearful participants (uncertainty-associated emotion) to make safe decisions (vs. risky decisions). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: We investigated the links among decision-making assessed by the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) and the Game of Dice Task (GDT), and the four facets of impulsivity (urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, and sensation seeking, UPPS) proposed by Whiteside and Lynam (2001) in a sample of 107 healthy volunteers. Hierarchical regressions controlling for age and gender indicated that sensation seeking and urgency were linked to disadvantageous decisions on the GDT while no association was found between IGT performance and the UPPS. Sensation seeking and urgency facets of impulsivity are related in healthy individuals, to decision-making processes where potential consequences of different options and their subsequent probabilities rely on explicit information. In healthy controls, there is little overlap between decision-making influenced by both implicit and explicit information and impulsivity as measured by the UPPS. These findings add evidence to the notion that self-reported trait impulsivity is associated with the decision making process. Decisions made under risk seemed to be differentially associated with specific facets of impulsivity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]