BANKER BRAIN

BANZAI7 NEWS--The study of two bankers with brain lesions that made them unafraid to lose other peoples money on a gamble showed their amygdalas, the brain's fear center, activated at the very thought of returning money to investors.

The finding, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, offers insight into Wall Street behavior and suggests that humans should be cautious about the prospects of losing food or other valued possessions to financial services professionals.

Benedetto De Martinoa of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena and University College of London and colleagues were studying why bankers are unable to turn down gambles that are likely to lead to personal gain at the expense of others.