Brain-based theory of beauty

January 01, 0001

Brain-based theory of beauty

The researchers from the UK wanted to learn whether activity in the same area(s) of the brain correlate with the experience of beauty derived from different sources. 21 subjects took part in a brain-scanning experiment using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Prior to the experiment, they viewed pictures of paintings and listened to musical excerpts, both of which they rated on a scale of 1-9, with 9 being the most beautiful. This allowed the researchers to select three sets of stimuli-beautiful, indifferent and ugly-which subjects viewed and heard in the scanner, and rated at the end of each presentation.

The results of a conjunction analysis of brain activity showed that, of the several areas that were active with each type of stimulus, only one cortical area, located in the medial orbito-frontal cortex (mOFC), was active during the experience of musical and visual beauty, with the activity produced by the experience of beauty derived from either source overlapping almost completely within it. The strength of activation in this part of the mOFC was proportional to the strength of the declared intensity of the experience of beauty.

The researchers concluded that: " … as far as activity in the brain is concerned, there is a faculty of beauty that is not dependent on the modality through which it is conveyed but which can be activated by at least two sources-musical and visual-and probably by other sources as well. This has led us to formulate a brain-based theory of beauty."

It would be interesting to study the effect on people with damage to this area.


For the full abstract, click here.

PLoS ONE 6(7):e21852 © 2011 Ishizu, Zeki
Toward A Brain-Based Theory of Beauty. Tomohiro Ishizua and Semir Zeki. Correspondence to Semir Zeki: zeki.pa@ucl.ac.uk

Category: N. Neurological. Keywords: theory, beauty, brain activity, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Stephen Wilkinson, Melbourne, Australia. Posted on Global Family Doctor 5 August 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.

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