Lobotomize Me, Please
Hot off the presses: People who have injuries to their insula–part of the brain tucked under the frontal lobes that’s about the size of a chicken gizzard–forget they want to smoke! It seems the insula is involved when we have urges.
This finding was stumbled on when neurologists stopped having to write passes to the smoking area for brain-injured patients who had been smokers. Researchers have since verified the insula/smoking urge connection in clinical studies. Now they’re going to try and find a way to apply this knowledge to real-world smokers.
When Mother had the cerebral hemorrhage that revealed her brain tumor (glioblastoma multiforme), her longing for a cigarette was gone. Just gone. Knowing a little about her tumor, it could well have stretched its evil tentacles into her insula. Not the way to quit smoking, believe me.
Now, I was all ready to head over to Mendota State for a lobotomy that would do away with that problem insula that made me have bad urges. Then I read a little further and learned that, for some reason, the insula has no impact on my urge for chocolate. Such a pity!
