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Mousavi M A, Khodagholi F, Sarahian N, Ansari Dezfouli M, Valian N. Sex-linked Neuromodulatory Profiles May Shape Economic Decision-making. BCN 2026; 17 (2) :191-210
URL: http://bcn.iums.ac.ir/article-1-3444-fa.html

Decision-making (DM) is an important issue in our daily lives. Even the most trivial decisions can have significant long-term impacts. Among the various forms of DM, economic DM is one of the most complex because it requires integrating information about rewards, costs, risks, and future consequences. Studies on economic DM have developed a new branch of research called neuroeconomics, in which economic DM is examined through psychological and neuroscience studies to determine the underlying cognitive processes involved. Since neuroscience can directly investigate brain organization, related biochemical mechanisms, and the causal relationships between these components and behaviors, it can play an important role in this interdisciplinary approach. Due to the structural and biochemical differences in the nervous system of men and women, different strategies may be used in their economic decisions, leading to different results. Economic DM engages distributed neural networks, with distinct brain regions contributing to different stages of the decision-making process. The structural organization of the brain, together with neuromodulatory systems, may influence the evaluation of rewards, risks, and future outcomes. In this review, we synthesize evidence from human and animal studies on sex-related differences in brain organization and major neuromodulatory systems and discuss how these differences may contribute to variability in economic DM. Although current evidence indicates potentially important associations, further well-designed studies in both humans and animals are required to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and determine how these biological differences shape economic DM in humans.