Which part of the brain generates doubt?

Um, well, we're not quite sure... the brain is complex enough to figure out without throwing doubt into the mix.


Asked by: Jack Catalano, US

Researchers recently discovered that patients with damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (located behind the eyes), had a ‘doubt-deficit’, in that they were unusually gullible in response to misleading adverts: for example, an advert for a too-good-to-be-true painkiller. But it’s important to note that it’s very difficult to link complex psychological states – such as the experience of doubt – to specific parts of the brain. Many other neural regions are likely to be involved in the subjective experience of doubt, including more emotional areas, buried deeper in the brain.

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