Brain 'wiring' key to desire for change

BONN, Germany, Nov. 26 (UPI) -- Whether a person welcomes a lot of change, or whether a person prefers to avoid anything new may be determined by nerve connections, German researchers say.

Michael X. Cohen and Dr. Bernd Weber of University of Bonn said that if the hippocampus -- a part of the brain that deals with specific memory functions -- identifies an experience as new, it then sends the corresponding feedback to the striatum -- the part of the brain that deals with rewards. There, certain neurotransmitters are released, leading to positive feelings, the researchers said.

The scientists used magnetic resonance imaging that focused on the "wiring" of the striatum and had study participants choose descriptions that characterized their personality best from a questionnaire, e.g. "I like to try out new things just for fun or because it's a challenge" or alternatively "I prefer to stay at home rather than traveling or investigating new things."

Nerve connection are one factor determining whether a person welcomes a change or tends to avoid anything new, the researchers said.