Abstract
Approach and avoidance behaviors—the primary responses to the environmental stimuli of danger, novelty and reward—are associated with the brain structures that mediate cognitive functionality, reward sensitivity and emotional expression. Individual differences in approach and avoidance behaviors are modulated by the functioning of amygdaloid-hypothalamic-striatal and striatal-cerebellar networks implicated in action and reaction to salient stimuli. The nodes of these networks are strongly interconnected and by acting on them the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems increase the intensity of appetitive or defensive motivation. This review analyzes the approach and avoidance behaviors in humans and rodents, addresses neurobiological and neurochemical aspects of these behaviors, and proposes a possible synaptic plasticity mechanism, related to endocannabinoid-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression that allows responding to salient positive and negative stimuli.
Highlights
Many different labels have been proposed over the years to cover the definition of approach and avoidance
We found that increased volumes of the bilateral caudate and pallidum were associated with higher Novelty Seeking (NS) scores (Figure 1A), and increased Mean Diffusivity (MD) measures in the bilateral putamen correlated with higher Harm Avoidance (HA) scores (Laricchiuta et al, 2014c)
Spontaneous forms of approach and avoidance behaviors rely on endocannabinoid system (ECS) modulation in corticolimbic and striatal areas (Laricchiuta et al, 2012b, 2014a,d)
Summary
Individual differences in response to positive and negative stimuli: endocannabinoid-based insight on approach and avoidance behaviors. Individual differences in approach and avoidance behaviors are modulated by the functioning of amygdaloidhypothalamic-striatal and striatal-cerebellar networks implicated in action and reaction to salient stimuli. The nodes of these networks are strongly interconnected and by acting on them the endocannabinoid and dopaminergic systems increase the intensity of appetitive or defensive motivation. This review analyzes the approach and avoidance behaviors in humans and rodents, addresses neurobiological and neurochemical aspects of these behaviors, and proposes a possible synaptic plasticity mechanism, related to endocannabinoid-dependent long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression that allows responding to salient positive and negative stimuli
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