M.I.T. Explains Why Bad Habits Are Hard to Break

Ant writes "CNET News.com says habitual activity (e.g., smoking, eating fatty foods, gambling, etc.) changes neural activity patterns in a specific region of the brain when habits are formed. These neural patterns created by habit can be changed or altered. But when a stimulus from the old days returns, the dormant pattern can reassert itself, according to a new study from the M.I.T., putting an individual in a neural state akin to being on autopilot... The neural patterns get established in the basal ganglia, a brain region critical to habits, addiction and procedural learning."

Comments

My Habits?

[borawjm]

I'm on slashdot so often because, at work, I get to the point where I've browsed just about every website that I could possibly think of and I get so bored that I wind up refreshing slashdot every 5 minutes just to see if there is a new article posted. sighs