生物谷報(bào)道：最近一期《神經(jīng)學(xué)雜志》載文稱,，英國倫敦學(xué)院大學(xué)和比利時甘特大學(xué)的神經(jīng)學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)，大腦中存在一個特定區(qū)域,，決定并控制人們各不相同的行為,。
研究發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)人開始想“我不能做此事”時,，大腦的前中部表層區(qū)域表現(xiàn)活躍,。科學(xué)家認(rèn)為,，這一大腦的網(wǎng)狀部分控制和限制人們想要做出的行為,。此項(xiàng)研究的負(fù)責(zé)人之一帕特里克.哈格德教授說，“許多人承認(rèn)有這樣一種‘內(nèi)部的聲音’阻止人們在憤怒時做某件事,，我們的研究確定了促使人們對其行為再三思考的過程,。”
帕特里克.哈格德教授認(rèn)為，大腦的這種功能對社會而言有重要意義,，這種延遲某種行為的能力,，可以避免出于“自私”、“沖動”或“眼前的意愿”而做出某種舉動,。
研究人員通過磁共振,，在數(shù)名志愿者身上觀察到原打算采取某種行為，但在最后一刻就繼續(xù)下去還是停止行動作出決定的志愿者的大腦的活動,。觀察發(fā)現(xiàn),，大腦前中部表層一個很小的區(qū)域，只有在人們原打算采取某種行為而后又阻止這種行為時表現(xiàn)活躍,；而當(dāng)人們打算采取某種行為并且事實(shí)上最終采取了這種行為時,，大腦的這一區(qū)域的活躍性相差很多。
研究還揭示,，那些大腦的這一區(qū)域活躍性高的人,，更傾向于再三考慮自己的行為，而那些這一區(qū)域不夠活躍的人傾向于采取行動,，甚至在被要求不要采取行動時,，仍不改初衷,。
帕特里克.哈格德教授認(rèn)為，這可能就是為什么有的人表現(xiàn)沖動,，有的人顯得克制的原因,。他指出，在一個復(fù)雜的社會中,，遏制沖動是十分必要的,。（科技日報(bào)）
原始出處:
The Journal of Neuroscience, August 22, 2007, 27(34):9141-9145; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0924-07.2007
Brief Communications
To Do or Not to Do: The Neural Signature of Self-Control
Marcel Brass1,2 and Patrick Haggard3
1Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, 04103 Leipzig, Germany, 2Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium, and 3Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Department of Psychology, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom
Correspondence should be addressed to Dr. Marcel Brass, Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Email: [email protected]
Voluntary action is fundamental to human existence. Recent research suggests that volition involves a specific network of brain activity, centered on the fronto-median cortex. An important but neglected aspect of intentional action involves the decision whether to act or not. This decision process is crucial in daily life because it allows us to form intentions without necessarily implementing them. In the present study, we investigate the neural correlates of intentionally inhibiting actions using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Our data show that a specific area of the fronto-median cortex is more strongly activated when people prepare manual actions but then intentionally cancel them, compared with when they prepare and then complete the same actions. Our results suggest that the human brain network for intentional action includes a control structure for self-initiated inhibition or withholding of intended actions. The mental control of action has an enduring scientific interest, linked to the philosophical concept of "free will." Our results identify a candidate brain area that reflects the crucial decision to do or not to do.
Key words: intentional processing; response inhibition; cognitive control; prefrontal cortex; fMRI; anterior insula
