Neural Correlates of Acute Induced Stress and Decision-making under Risk: an fMRI study

The current pre-registration is of a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study that aims to investigate the neural correlates of acute induced stress and decision-making under risk. The rationale of the study is multi-folded. Firstly, the aim is to simultaneously assess both stress and risky decision-making from a neuroscientific perspective with the help of fMRI. Specifically, the impact of acute induced stress on decision-making under risk will be evaluated by examining brain activation patterns. Secondly, the current study aims to contribute to the development of a neurophysiological model of stress processing in humans with the help of functional neuroimaging. Finally, the modulators of stress during decision-making will be assessed from a neuroscientific perspective. For this purpose, a novel within-subject experimental design is proposed wherein stress induction and decision-making tasks will take place in an MRI scanner environment with a minimal stress to task latency. The primary goal of the study is to investigate if whole brain activation during decision making under risk differs between the pre- and post-stress conditions. unknown other