Cited by 358Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesNeurotransmitter Receptor Influence on BehaviorChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

A developmental neurobiological model of motivated behavior: Anatomy, connectivity and ontogeny of the triadic nodes

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Ernst, Monique, Fudge, Julie L.·2009·Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Abstract

Adolescence is the transition period that prepares individuals for fulfilling their role as adults. Most conspicuous in this transition period is the peak level of risk-taking behaviors that characterize adolescent motivated behavior. Significant neural remodeling contributes to this change. This review focuses on the functional neuroanatomy underlying motivated behavior, and how ontogenic changes can explain the typical behavioral patterns in adolescence. To help model these changes and provide testable hypotheses, a neural systems-based theory is presented. In short, the Triadic Model proposes that motivated behavior is governed by a carefully orchestrated articulation among three systems, approach, avoidance and regulatory. These three systems map to distinct, but overlapping, neural circuits, whose representatives are the striatum, the amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex. Each of these system-representatives will be described from a functional anatomy perspective that includes a review of their connectivity and what is known of their ontogenic changes.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2008.10.009

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  • The combination of heightened activity in reward-related circuits and underdeveloped cognitive control centres contributes to greater emotionality, impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviour.

    “The combination of heightened activity in reward-related circuits and underdeveloped cognitive control centres contributes to greater emotionality, impulsivity and reward-seeking behaviour174,175.”
  • The brain systems underlying reward bias and cognitive control continue to mature.

    “with continued maturation in the brain systems that underlie both (Casey, Getz et al. 2008; Ernst and Fudge 2009).”

    From Developmental imaging genetics: Linking dopamine function to adolescent behavior (2014) · cites this paper as Ernst and Fudge 2009

  • Adolescence is characterized by developmentally specific changes in reward-related behavior, including initiation of alcohol involvement and increased risk-taking, that reflect ongoing changes in the structure and function of reward-related circuitry.

    “Adolescence is characterized by developmentally specific changes in reward-related behavior, including initiation of alcohol involvement and increased risk-taking, that are assumed to reflect ongoing changes in the structure and function of reward-related circuitry (Ernst & Fudge, 2009; Forbes & Dahl, 2005; Spear, 2000).”

    From Sleep and circadian contributions to adolescent alcohol use disorder (2015) · cites this paper as Ernst & Fudge, 2009

  • The amygdala is a core node within the mesolimbocortical dopamine system and serves to modulate ventral striatal activity.

    “The amygdala has been long-recognized as a core node within the mesolimbocortical dopamine system (Berridge, 2004) and serves to modulate ventral striatal activity (Ernst and Fudge, 2009).”
  • The Triadic Model proposed that motivated behavior in adolescence results from the coordination of two social-affective neural circuits via cognitive circuitry.

    “Adding nuance to dual-systems models, the Triadic Model (Ernst and Fudge, 2009, Ernst et al., 2006) proposed that motivated behavior in adolescence results from the coordination of two social-affective neural circuits via cognitive circuitry.”

    From Adolescent neurobiological susceptibility to social context (2016) · cites this paper as Ernst and Fudge, 2009

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Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Hemphill M Holm G Crutcher M Delong M Hedreen J Chronister R DeFrance J 1981 Afferent connections of the nucleus accumbens in the monkey Neurobiology of the Nucleus Accumbens Oxford University Press Oxford 75 81
  2. Robbins TW Everitt BJ 1992 Seminars in the neurosciences Saunders London, UK
  3. Steinberg L Belsky J Cicchetti D Toth S 1996 A sociobiological perspective on psychopathology in adolescence Rochester Symposium on Developmental Psychopathology University of Rochester Press Rochester, NY 93 124

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Authors
Ernst, M., & Fudge, J. L.
Affiliations
University of Rochester Medicine (US)
Venue
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-03
Volume
33
Issue
3
Pages
367-382
ISSN
0149-7634 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W1970734866
Cited by
358
References
235
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 19 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 45 · 2014: 26 · 2013: 48 · 2012: 38
FWCI
8.12
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
National Institutes of Health (Z99 MH999999)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
motivated behavior, adolescence, triadic model, regulatory regimes, striatum, amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, neuronal connectivity, brain reorganization, risk-taking, functional neuroanatomy
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Amygdala, Animals, Brain Mapping, Corpus Striatum, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Models, Biological, Motivation, Neural Pathways, Prefrontal Cortex

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