How your brain balances pleasure and pain

Researchers have zeroed in on an information-processing hub in the brain to discover how neurons balance pleasure and pain.

The research by New York-based Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory (CSHL) revealed that different classes of neurons control positive and negative motivation, sending opposing signals along a shared motivation-processing brain circuit.

Ultimately, the balance of activity between these two groups of cells may determine whether a person acts to seek out pleasurable experiences or avoid negative ones, says Professor Bo Li who led the study reported in the journal Neuron.