Geschlechtsspezifische Unterschiede im belohnungsorientierten Verhalten: Neuronale Grundlage und klinische Relevanz

The expectation of being rewarded for one’s actions is crucial for motivation and goal-directed behaviour. Imaging studies have identified the dopaminergic reward system, especially the nucleus accumbens, as the underlying brain structure for the anticipation of rewards. Dysfunction of this system is the central problem in a variety of psychiatric disorders leading to abnormal brain activation patterns in patients during reward anticipation. To explain gender differences and to determine vulnerability factors for psychiatric disorders, an increasing number of scientific studies accounts for hormonal and genetic influences on the neural processing of reward anticipation. Blickpunkt DER MANN 2010; 8 (1): 6–9.