Affective status may interact with neural response to reward, as low striatal and high prefrontal activity were linked to depressive symptoms. Indeed, adolescents show an increase in risky behavior when the situation evokes affective processing. Hormone levels may additionally influence reward sensitivity. Higher testosterone levels were associated with reduced reward outcome-related striatal activity for both males and females, implicating a unique contribution of this hormone to reward processing. Due to their neural profiles, adolescents may show a greater propensity for high stakes rewards that incline them toward risk-taking and sensation seeking (Forbes et al. 2010; Martin et al. 2004).
