Abstract
Many rewards in life require taking risks, and the decision to take such risks often must be made under stressful circumstances - whether one is a stockbroker, a surgeon, or just a commuter in rush-hour traffic. Stress hormones affect prefrontal brain regions and dopaminergic pathways involved in decision making. As people age, prefrontal brain regions decline in volume and in dopamine transmission effectiveness, potentially altering the impact of stress on decision making. To examine age differences in the effects of stress on risky decisions, the authors asked younger and older participants to play a computer-based driving game either after a stress challenge or in a control condition. (Author/publisher)