Do you find yourself grumpy and less alert in the afternoon hours as opposed to the morning hours? It is because your brain expects a reward, while activation is greater in the morning and evening because rewards are not expected at these times, according to a study.
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Findings showed:
- The findings showed that activation of a reward-processing brain region peaks in the morning and evening and dips at 2 p.m.
- Understanding how activity in the brain’s reward system changes throughout the day.
- In addition, could have implications for depression, substance abuse and sleep disturbances.
- For the study, the team compared activation of the brain’s reward system in young men.
- During a gambling task at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- They found that activation in the left putamen was lowest in early afternoon.
- This finding may parallel the drop in alertness people tend to feel in mid-afternoon, the researchers said.
- While the left putamen had greatest activation at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m., it had significantly lowered activation at 2 p.m.
- The left putamen is particularly responsive to unexpected rewards.
- So our data suggest that the brain’s reward centres might be primed to expect rewards in the early afternoon.
- And be surprised when they appear at the start and end of the day.
- The results contrast with a previous research.
- Showing that people report being in the best mood a subjective measure of reward activation at this time, the researchers said.
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