Does laziness' start in the brain?

"For example, in my clinic, I saw a young man called David who had been a high-flyer in his firm but suddenly lost interest in his job as well as the people around him. Previously, he'd been a productive and outgoing person who always seemed to take the initiative at work and in his social circle, but now David did very little and didn't seem to care. As he put it, he just couldn't be arsed."

"He did nothing all day, waiting for his mates to come home to cook for him. His GP tried him on an antidepressant, but it had no effect. David wasn't depressed, though. In fact he was quite happy. After looking deeper into his case, we discovered that the cause was actually two tiny strokes, one on each side of the brain. These were located in the basal ganglia, nuclei that are crucial for motivated behaviour."

Variation in motivation spans highly driven individuals to those who prefer minimal effort. Common explanations include temperament, circumstances, upbringing and values. Neuroscience and studies of brain disorders reveal that specific brain systems underlie motivated behaviour. When these systems malfunction, previously motivated people can develop pathological apathy, distinct from depression. Clinical cases can show preserved mood despite profound loss of initiative and indifference to consequences. Small bilateral strokes in the basal ganglia can abolish motivation without causing sadness. The basal ganglia are nuclei crucial for motivated behaviour and connect with other brain regions involved in action and reward.

Read at www.theguardian.com