Does Brain Activity Predict Risk-Taking?

Scientists have been trying to pinpoint the biological activity behind risk-taking. But they’re far from having useful results. Here's what you should know.

For decades, scientists have used brain imaging studies to try to understand why some people are more prone to taking risks than others.

Various studies suggest that one area of the brain is more important than another. But the results don’t reliably match up with “real-life risk-taking,” notes a Swiss-German team reporting in the prestigious Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience.

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Is it the left cerebellum or the amygdala and right posterior parietal?  

• The left cerebellum controls visuospatial functions, such as recognizing faces, locating objects, reading, and depth perception.
• The amygdala is responsible for the flight or fight syndrome.
• The right posterior parietal is associated with spatial perception, motor control, and ability to pay attention.

So far there’s no magic way to know in advance what your teen might do or how to prevent the impulses that lead to risky behavior like problem drinking or promiscuity.

Some basics are clear: The teen years are a time when the brain is developing dramatically. The areas that manage emotions, make decisions, and control impulses are still growing.

It also matters what young people hear. Not surprisingly, middle-schoolers who are told that high-schoolers are “irresponsible,” tend to act out more later, some research suggests.

Scientists continue to be hopeful that their tools will help.

“By knowing the biology that predicts risk, we hope to eventually change the biology – or at least meet that biology with other forces to stem the risk,” says a senior investigator of a set of studies at Duke University, Ahmad Hariri, PhD, a professor of psychology and neuroscience.

If you’re a parent, you can look at these studies as a sign of a big push toward more diagnostic precision if your child does turn out to develop a disorder like addiction. 

It’s clear that stress can be a trigger for vulnerable youth. That may be an area where parents can make a difference, watching for signs a child is suffering.

Between 2016 and 2020, the number of U.S. children aged 3 to 17 diagnosed with anxiety and depression each grew by almost a third. More than 60 percent of college students met the criteria for at least one mental health problem during the 2020-2021 school year.

The American Psychological Association offers this short list of danger signs:

• Irritability and anger or argumentativeness. Teens argue, but you should seek help if your child is violent at home or getting into fights.
• Trouble sleeping. Teens need 8 to 10 hours a night but often don’t get them.
• Procrastination and neglecting responsibilities like homework.
• Eating too much or too little.
• More frequent illnesses, headaches, or stomachaches.

Even though teens may act indifferent or angry towards you, they still crave your affection and approval. Learn ways to manage your own stress, find common ground, and “be there.”

Make sure your teen gets enough exercise (at least an hour a day of movement), has an opportunity to talk out issues with a trusted adult (who may not be a parent), has downtime and time for fun, and spends time in nature.  Mindfulness training can help.

As a parent, you might talk to your teens about how you managed stress at different times in your life. Help them navigate the digital world wisely and safely and try to nudge them out of negative self-talk, such as “I’m terrible at math.”

The bottom line: Be aware of troubled behavior patterns in your kids. If something seems out of whack to you, the next step would be intervention that would teach coping skills before the pattern spirals into a disorder that would be much more difficult to control.

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