The Hokey Pokey, Free Will, and the Brain

Scientists are at it again!  This time, they claim to have isolated one of the parts of the brain responsible for our feelings of free will.  Two blog commentaries on the research can be found here and here.  The research article itself can be found here.  The abstract is:

Parietal and premotor cortex regions are serious contenders for bringing motor intentions and motor responses into awareness. We used electrical stimulation in seven patients undergoing awake brain surgery. Stimulating the right inferior parietal regions triggered a strong intention and desire to move the contralateral hand, arm, or foot, whereas stimulating the left inferior parietal region provoked the intention to move the lips and to talk. When stimulation intensity was increased in parietal areas, participants believed they had really performed these movements, although no electromyographic activity was detected. Stimulation of the premotor region triggered overt mouth and contralateral limb movements. Yet, patients firmly denied that they had moved. Conscious intention and motor awareness thus arise from increased parietal activity before movement execution.

Perhaps it's just me, but "awake brain surgery" sounds like a real drag--especially when the neuro-scientists performing the procedure are not only fixing your head but also screwing around with it!  Happy reading!

Comments

[R. Clarke]

There's a reason why they're called NEFARIOUS neurosurgeons.

[Neil]

This might have some philosophical relevance (unlike most of the stuff which explicitly says its about free will). Some people - Ginet(?), Tom Pink - think the phenomenology of free will is our best evidence for its reality. The work might used in an abductive argument against them,

BTW, brain surgery is almost always performed with an awake patient.

[Neuroskeptic]

I've written a bit about this here.

Brain surgeons often stimulate the brain during surgery because it allows them to work out which bits of the brain are doing something useful and therefore shouldn't get cut out.

As a side effect of this, they sometimes discover interesting stuff and publish it.

[Rob]

Dig this:

"This is the first evidence that monkeys, like people, have 'would-have, could-have, should-have' thoughts..."

Monkeys Found To Wonder What Might Have Been
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090514153028.htm