The neurobiology of giving

The neurobiology of giving

As many of us are immersed into the final frenzy of Christmas gift buying, the thought of battling the crowds to find that pair of socks for dad can be a daunting one. However recent research suggests that rather than induce a headache, shopping for gifts can actually be good for us. In a 2008 study from the University of British Columbia, subjects rated their level of happiness before being randomly allocated to different spending conditions - to either spend money on themselves or spend money on others (prosocial spending).

Subjects once again rated their level of happiness after spending the money. It was reported that subjects who spent money on others rated themselves as happier than subjects who spent money on themselves. Interestingly, this increase in happiness did not depend on how much money was spent. The researchers also found, however, that when subjects were asked to imagine what they thought would make them happier, most thought it would be personal, rather than prosocial, spending, suggesting that we are largely unaware of the benefits of giving.

Researchers at the University of Oregon used neuroimaging to identify which brain structures may be involved in prosocial or giving behaviours. This revealed that the centres of our brain implicated in pleasure and reward, the caudate, nucleus accumbens and insula, are also activated when people engage in acts of altruistic giving, such as donating money to a charity. So, it would seem that the brain’s pleasure centres do not only respond to what we want and like – they also track what is good for others too!

Who would have thought gift giving is so good for us and that the brain gets the same warm glow from buying that box set of socks for dad as when experiencing the delight of a tasty meal or a lottery win! Makes you want to go out and finish that Christmas shopping!

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Molly in recovery

Molly's letter

Molly Meldrum, the well known TV personality who suffered a severe head injury after a fall on 15 December last year, appears to be recovering well. He has written an open letter expressing his thanks for the attention and well-wishes he received after his fall.

Part of the letter is reproduced on this news site

Molly said: "My life changed forever when I fell off the roof".

"I can't say my life flashed before my eyes, but I have had plenty of time to reflect in the past few weeks, and I realise just how lucky I am".

"I wish I could reply to all the cards and messages, but it's impossible - it would take all year and I'd never get my book finished!" he wrote.

The letter comes not long after the recording of an interview by journalist Jennifer Keyte which will air on Today Tonight. It will make fascinating viewing.

Prognosis and recovery

Molly appears to be making a good recovery from his head injury, particularly given his age (66) and the severity of his injury. He appears to be alert and very articulate.

However, an article on news.com.au reveals that he also tires easily, becomes stressed under pressure and is walking slowly.

These are common outcomes of head injury or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Depending on many factors, including the severity of the TBI and the part of the brain affected, slowed processing, fatigue and difficulties managing stress are to be expected following a TBI. These can be short or long term effects. Again, depending on a number of factors, many skills are also often retained. These tend to be those skills that have been well practised, such as literacy skills.

The human brain is complex, as are the outcomes of TBI. To learn more about how the outcomes of TBI can be assessed, please contact us