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A new study by scientists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford shows that a part of the brain, called the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), plays a vital role in deciding to help others.

Lead author Professor Patricia Lockwood said it is important to understand the neural mechanisms behind prosocial behaviors, essential for tackling pressing global issues such as climate change and infectious diseases, as well as address social disorders.

"Prosocial behaviors are essential for addressing global challenges. Yet helping others is often effortful and humans are averse to effort. Understanding how effortful helping decisions are processed in the brain is extremely important," Lockwood explained, as per Medical Express.

The study published in Nature Human Behaviour, focused on the vmPFC, a region known for its role in decision-making and executive functions. By examining three groups of participants-25 with vmPFC damage, 15 with damage elsewhere in the brain, and 40 healthy individuals-the researchers were able to isolate the impact of vmPFC damage on altruistic tendencies.

Participants engaged in a decision-making task involving physical effort to earn rewards for themselves and an anonymous recipient. Results demonstrated that individuals with vmPFC damage exhibited reduced willingness to help others, exerted less effort even when choosing to help, and earned fewer rewards for altruistic actions compared to control groups.

Further analysis using lesion symptom mapping pinpointed specific subregions of the vmPFC associated with antisocial behavior and reluctance to exert effort for others. Intriguingly, damage to adjacent subregions yielded contrasting effects, enhancing willingness to assist.

Co-lead author Dr. Jo Cutler highlighted the potential therapeutic implications of the study saying: "As well as better understanding prosocial motivation, this study could also help us to develop new treatments for clinical disorders such as psychopathy, where understanding the underlying neural mechanisms can give us new insights into how to treat these conditions."

Meanwhile, Lookwood noted the developmental significance of the vmPFC, particularly during adolescence and aging stating: "This region of the brain is particularly interesting because we know that it undergoes late development in teenagers, and also changes as we get older. It will be really interesting to see whether this area of the brain can also be influenced by education-can we learn to be better at helping others?"