Figure 4.

D2 mRNA expression is associated with adolescent Risky Decision-making Task (RDT) performance. Dividing rats into risk taking and risk averse subgroups (n=6 each) on the basis of adolescent RDT performance revealed that in both dorsolateral striatum and nucleus accumbens shell, risk-taking rats had significantly lower D2 mRNA expression than risk averse rats (a and c). There were also significant negative correlations between these two variables in both subregions, such that lower D2 mRNA expression was associated with greater choice of the large, risky reward (b and d). *p<0.05 compared to risk averse subgroup.