Brain area in-charge for 'exercise motivation' discovered

Scientists have discovered the brain area which is in charge of a person's motivation to exercise.

Scientists at the Seattle Children's Research Institute have discovered that a tiny region of the brain, the dorsal medial habenula, controls the desire to exercise in mice. The structure of the habenula is similar in humans and rodents and these basic functions in mood regulation and motivation are likely to be the same across species.

Principal investigator Dr. Eric Turner used mouse models for the study that were genetically engineered to block signals from the dorsal medial habenula. In the first part of the study, it was shown that compared to typical mice, who loved to run in their exercise wheels, the genetically engineered mice were lethargic and ran far less. The genetically engineered mice had also lost their preference for sweetened drinking water.

In a second group of mice, the team activated the dorsal medial habenula using optogenetics. The mice could 'choose' to activate this area of the brain by turning one of two response wheels with their paws. The mice strongly preferred turning the wheel that stimulated the dorsal medial habenula, demonstrating that the area of the brain was tied to rewarding behavior.

Past studies have attributed many different functions to the habenula, but technology was not advanced enough to determine roles of the various subsections of this area of the brain, including the dorsal medial habenula.

Dr. Turner, who's a professor at the University of Washington hopes that the research would make a difference in the lives of future patients and help find effective treatments for depression.

The study is published in the Journal of Neuroscience.