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aversion

This shows a brain and people looking with disgust at a steak.

·May 14, 2025·5 min read

Disgust, Not Taste, Drives Vegetarian Meat Avoidance

A new study finds that vegetarians reject meat with the emotion of disgust, rather than simple distaste, mirroring the strong aversion meat-eaters feel toward taboo foods like human flesh or feces. In contrast, disliked vegetables like beets or sprouts are typically rejected due to distaste—an aversion based on taste or texture.

Featured Neuroscience

·December 3, 2024·5 min read

Aversion Shapes Addiction Risk in Early Drug Use

New research reveals that initial reactions to unpleasant drug experiences, like bitterness or discomfort, may predict susceptibility to addiction. In a rat study, individual responses to a bitter-tasting cue paired with cocaine varied widely, with some avoiding the drug entirely and others increasing consumption over time.

Featured Neuroscience

·February 13, 2024·4 min read

Nicotine’s Influence on Reward and Aversion

A new study delves into how nicotine influences the brain, revealing its complex effects on areas related to reward and aversion. Focusing on the medial habenula, researchers found its activity varies significantly with nicotine dosage, presence of menthol, and the subject's sex, a discovery that challenges previous understanding of nicotine's uniform impact on reward pathways.

Featured Neuroscience

·November 6, 2023·5 min read

Discomfort Circuit Discovered in Brain’s Depths

Scientists have uncovered a brain circuit in the subthalamic nucleus that causes discomfort when activated, shedding new light on the neural roots of aversion. This finding has significant implications, as it demonstrates the subthalamus's potential role in depression and the side effects of deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy for Parkinson's.

This is a daigram of the brain networks implicated in this study

Auditory Neuroscience Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·September 20, 2019·4 min read

Why is the brain disturbed by harsh sounds?

Harsh noises, such as alarm bells and sirens, hold the brain's attention by stimulating its aversion networks.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·February 14, 2019·3 min read

Brain Pathways of Aversion Identified

Researchers have identified a specific pathway between the hypothalamus and habenula that controls feelings of aversion.

Featured Open Neuroscience Articles Psychology

·February 5, 2018·3 min read

Describing Certain Foods in a Foreign Language Reduces Aversion

A new study reveals describing certain foods in a foreign language can reduce aversion.

Featured Neuroscience

·May 27, 2016·6 min read

Neurons in the Prefrontal Cortex are Built to Respond to Reward or Aversion

Researchers combine two cutting edge techniques and discover how prefrontal circuits that process process positive and negative experiences are distinctly different from one another.