Impact of aversive affect on neural mechanisms of categorization decisions.

Introduction: Many theories contend that evidence accumulation is a critical component of decision-making. Cognitive accumulation models typically interpret two main parameters: a drift rate and decision threshold. The former is the rate of accumulation, based on the quality of evidence, and the latter is the amount of evidence required for a decision.

Neural segregation and integration of sensory, decision, and action processes during object categorization.

Neural and computational evidence suggests that perceptual decisions depend on an evidence accumulation process. The gradual reveal fMRI method, which prolongs a decision to match the slow temporal resolution of fMRI measurements, has classified dorsal visual stream regions as "Action" (alternatively, "Moment of Recognition" or "Commitment") and ventral visual stream regions as "Accumulator." Previous gradual reveal fMRI studies, however, only tested actions that were in response to decisions and, thus, related to evidence accumulation.

Neural mechanisms of sexual decision-making in women with alcohol use disorder.

Rationale: The co-occurrence of alcohol consumption and sexual activity is associated with increased risk for sexual assault, sexually transmitted disease, and unplanned pregnancy among young adult women with alcohol use disorder (AUD). There is considerable previous work demonstrating neural reactivity to alcohol cues in AUD. Because alcohol consumption and sexual behavior are both rewarding and tend to co-occur, sexual cues may produce similar neural reactivity in women with AUD, possibly indicating a shared mechanism underlying reactivity to both types of cues.