Work

Risky decision-making in the balloon analogue risk task – the role of noradrenaline and cortisol

Year: 2025

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: RATIONALE: Stress can significantly alter decision-making, often promoting riskier choices. While prior research suggests a link between acute stress and increased risk-taking, the specific contributions of cortisol and noradrenaline-two key neuroendocrine stress mediators-remain unclear. OBJECTIVES: Investigate how the pharmacological manipulation of two key neuroendocrine stress mediators (cortisol and noradrenaline) influences risk-taking behavior in healthy individuals. METHODS: In a double-blind, randomized study, we examined the individual and combined effects of hydrocortisone (20 mg) and yohimbine (20 mg; an α₂-adrenergic receptor antagonist) on risky decision-making in 96 healthy adults (48 women, 48 men). Participants completed the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) before and after drug administration, allowing for within-subject comparisons relative to individual baselines. RESULTS: While the pharmacological manipulation effectively elevated cortisol concentration and salivary alpha amylase activity (as proxy for noradrenaline levels), no substantial effects on risk-taking behavior emerged, contrasting with some earlier findings. Exploratory analyses of associations with personality traits (anxiety, aggression, sensation seeking) and baseline levels of testosterone and estradiol revealed only weak and inconsistent relationships. CONCLUSIONS: These findings underscore the complexity of stress effects on decision-making and suggest that pharmacological activation of stress systems may not straightforwardly mimic psychosocial stress. Methodological factors such as timing, dosage, receptor specificity, and task familiarity likely play critical roles in modulating these effects.

Source: Psychopharmacology

DOI: 10.1007/s00213-025-06943-3

Authors: Kim Fricke, Nina Alexander, Thomas Jacobsen, Henriette Krug, Kai Wehkamp, Susanne Vogel

Institutions: MSH Medical School Hamburg – University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Philipps University of Marburg, Helmut Schmidt University

Language: English

Topic: Stress Responses and Cortisol

Subfield: Behavioral Neuroscience

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,390