Shop Till Your Insula Drops

Today's Scientific American includes a summary of a fascinating study published in the January 4 issue of Neuron. As summarized in Neuron Online, a research team, led by neuroscientist Brian Knutson of Stanford University, "performed functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) "on individuals while the subjects were deciding whether or not to purchase various items. Their results . . . support the theory that the decision to purchase involves the integration of emotional signals related to the anticipation of both obtaining the desired product and suffering the financial loss of paying for it." Among other findings, the study noted that "the response of the insula (a lateral section of the brain's cortex known to activate during responses to negative stimuli) depended on the purchasing decision--activity there increased when a participant nixed a purchase."
(Note: A link to the Neuron article is available here.)