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The brain's reaction to errors is studied
From accidentally deleting a computer file to dropping something, we all make mistakes -- and now Michigan scientists are learning how that affects the brain.
University of Michigan researchers used an imaging scan to view the human brain the instant a costly mistake occurs. What they've found might help scientists better understand mental health problems.
The scientists found the brain's rostral anterior cingulate cortex, or rACC, becomes much more active when a person realizes making an error of some consequence. By contrast, the same area doesn't show the same activity when the mistake is minor or doesn't carry a penalty,
The rACC is thought to be involved with emotional responses, and scientists had suspected it might also be involved in response to costly errors. But this is the first brain-imaging study to test that idea.
"In general, the response to a mistake that cost ... money was greater than the response to other mistakes, and the involvement of the rACC suggests the importance of emotions in decision and performance-monitoring processes," said Dr. Stephan Taylor, an associate professor of psychiatry and lead author of the research.
The research is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
The scientists found the brain's rostral anterior cingulate cortex, or rACC, becomes much more active when a person realizes making an error of some consequence. By contrast, the same area doesn't show the same activity when the mistake is minor or doesn't carry a penalty,
The rACC is thought to be involved with emotional responses, and scientists had suspected it might also be involved in response to costly errors. But this is the first brain-imaging study to test that idea.
"In general, the response to a mistake that cost ... money was greater than the response to other mistakes, and the involvement of the rACC suggests the importance of emotions in decision and performance-monitoring processes," said Dr. Stephan Taylor, an associate professor of psychiatry and lead author of the research.
The research is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International
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