Neuroscience: Patience 'determined by brain's SEROTONIN levels'

Patience is determined by the levels of the hormone serotonin, dictating whether you can calmly anticipate a reward or crave instant gratification, a study has found. Researchers from Japan found that artificially triggering the release of the hormone in mice made the rodents more patient when waiting for food in lab experiments. Furthermore, the team found that two different areas of the brain are responsible for separately evaluating the benefits of waiting patiently for a reward. The findings may help to refine the development of antidepressants that modulate serotonin levels in humans -- such as by targeting specific areas of the brain. In their study, neuroscientist Katsuhiko Miyazaki of the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University and colleagues worked with special mice with light-sensitive neurons that release serotonin when triggered.