How the Brain Makes Moral Choices

Scientists may have pinpointed the area in the brain where morality and emotions clash in dicey situations.
The area is the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPC), report the researchers.
Michael Koenigs, PhD, of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, worked on the study while on staff in the neurology division of the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
Koenigs and colleagues studied six people who suffered VMPC damage as adults. The VMPC is involved in emotional responses and social emotions such as compassion, shame, and guilt, Koenigs' team notes.
For comparison, the researchers also looked at 12 healthy adults with no brain damage and 12 adults with brain damage that didn't affect the VMPC or other emotion-related areas.
In the study, participants read fictional scenarios that presented dilemmas, such as sacrificing one person's life to save the lives of others.
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