Pure Novelty Spurs The Brain
Pure Novelty Spurs The Brain
London, UK (SPX) Aug 08, 2006
Neurobiologists have known that a novel environment sparks exploration and learning, but very little is known about whether the brain really prefers novelty as such. Rather, the major "novelty center" of the brain--called the substantia nigra/ventral tegmental area (SN/VTA)--might be activated by the unexpectedness of a stimulus, the emotional arousal it causes, or the need to respond behaviorally.
http://www.terradaily.com/reports/Pure_Novelty_Spurs_The_Brain_999.html