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The basal ganglia are several regions in the center of the brain that play an important role in habit formation.
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Basal ganglia Term Timeline in The Power of Habit
The timeline below shows where the term Basal ganglia appears in The Power of Habit. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: The Habit Loop: How Habits Work
...understanding how Eugene Pauly formed new habits. In the 1990s, MIT researchers were studying the basal ganglia , a small, primitive structure at the very center of the brain that seemed important...
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...ones. While old habits never go away, new ones can still overtake them. Without the basal ganglia , people would be overwhelmed by basic everyday decisions. But the mind’s dependence on habits...
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Eugene Pauly’s basal ganglia were still intact, and Larry Squire wanted to test whether Pauly could still form habits....
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Chapter 3: The Golden Rule of Habit Change: Why Transformation Occurs
The German neurologist Ulf Mueller implanted devices in the basal ganglia of five alcoholics who had repeatedly failed to quit drinking. By emitting electrical signals, these...
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Chapter 9: The Neurology of Free Will: Are We Responsible for Our Habits?
...takes over. In fact, patients have successfully sued pharmaceutical companies when drugs that affect the basal ganglia and brain stem have made them into compulsive gamblers, eaters, and more.
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