Brain's Willpower Spot Found, Broccoli over a Butterfinger?
source: http://www.livescience.com/health/090506-willpower-brain.html
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When healthy eaters choose broccoli over a Butterfinger, they use a small region in their brains that indulgers don't use.
That bundle of cells is a clue to the biology of willpower, a new study finds. Like a wagging finger in our heads, the region admonishes us to consider long-term benefits over instant rewards when we make decisions.
"This is the first time people have looked at the mechanism of self-control in people who are making real-life decisions," said Todd Hare, a Caltech neuroscientist who led the study.
To zero in on the nodule that imposes willpower, Hare and his colleagues scanned the brains of 37 people who called themselves dieters. During the scans, the subjects pored over 50 photos of foods. They rated the foods according to taste and healthiness.
Some foods, such as Wheat Thins and granola, earned strong "neutral" marks in both categories. For the final test, scientists showed each volunteer a food that they had labeled "neutral" and asked them to choose between it and each of 49 other foods.
When the results were in, the scientists divided the dieters into two groups: those who had self-control and those who didn't. Those with self-control chose healthy foods over tasty foods. Those with no self-control opted for flavor.
Every one of the volunteers used a part of their brains called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the scans revealed. It's a squiggly-shaped region behind the forehead. Those who exercised restraint, however, also used a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a smaller lump of brain cells buried further back. It has been associated with working memory and meeting goals.
That bundle of cells is a clue to the biology of willpower, a new study finds. Like a wagging finger in our heads, the region admonishes us to consider long-term benefits over instant rewards when we make decisions.
"This is the first time people have looked at the mechanism of self-control in people who are making real-life decisions," said Todd Hare, a Caltech neuroscientist who led the study.
To zero in on the nodule that imposes willpower, Hare and his colleagues scanned the brains of 37 people who called themselves dieters. During the scans, the subjects pored over 50 photos of foods. They rated the foods according to taste and healthiness.
Some foods, such as Wheat Thins and granola, earned strong "neutral" marks in both categories. For the final test, scientists showed each volunteer a food that they had labeled "neutral" and asked them to choose between it and each of 49 other foods.
When the results were in, the scientists divided the dieters into two groups: those who had self-control and those who didn't. Those with self-control chose healthy foods over tasty foods. Those with no self-control opted for flavor.
Every one of the volunteers used a part of their brains called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the scans revealed. It's a squiggly-shaped region behind the forehead. Those who exercised restraint, however, also used a part of the brain called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, a smaller lump of brain cells buried further back. It has been associated with working memory and meeting goals.
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