In the world today, it seems that politics are always at the top of mind. But some people are more political and more politically passionate than others — partially thanks to the brain itself. According to a paper published in the journal Brain, there are circuits in our minds that contribute to our levels of political intensity, and researchers recently revealed these circuits, identifying which brain regions are involved.
“We didn’t find brain networks tied to liberal or conservative ideology, but we identified circuits that influence the intensity of political engagement across the political spectrum,” said Jordan Grafman, a paper author and a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University, according to a press release.
Ultimately, the results reveal that the regions of our brain that control our cognition and emotion influence our levels of political passion — a result with clear cultural and clinical implications.
