There’s a condition unique to the human condition called default bias. Generally, when presented with two options, the default option and a different option, most people choose the default. Even when it’s wrong, this dithering tends to go to the default choice. That’s why people stare blankly at hundreds of channels, then just stay with whatever they were watching. However, this default bias might be the key to easing the symptoms of a debilitating neurological disorder.The way the brain is wired is an incredible thing. The very same brain area that handles choosing between multiple options, the subthalamic nuclei, is also seen to have some ability to help control Parkinson’s Disease. Specifically, stimulating this area of the brain seems to help patients with Parkinson’s Disease overcome movement and rigidity problems.
Said Stephen Fleming, lead researcher on the project from University College London, “One of the central problems that occurs in Parkinson’s is that you can’t initiate an action. So, once you’ve started moving you’re okay; it’s the getting going that’s the problem. What is interesting is that when you disrupt this particular structure, the subthalmic structure, with deep brain stimulation, you can alleviate that symptom.”
Tags: dithering, indecisiveness, weird science, default bias, psychology, how the brain works, how the brain reads choices, handling options, how the brain handles options, Stephen Fleming, University College London, subthalmic nuclei, Parkinson’s Disease
