I started wondering that if, during this patient encounter, my head had been placed into a functional MRI (fMRI) unit, would it have revealed differences in gray matter volume in my right temporo-parietal junction? Swiss researchers have demonstrated that this region can identify those individuals with a general propensity to behave altruistically.6 So, what if we required all of our fellowship applicants to undergo a fMRI as part of the application process? After all, I kept that “unpublished direct line for doctors,” so maybe we can expedite their MRI prior authorizations in a flash. That would make me happy.
Dr. Helfgott is physician editor of The Rheumatologist and associate professor of medicine in the division of rheumatology, immunology, and allergy at Harvard Medical School in Boston.
References
- Medscape. Medscape Lifestyle Report 2012. Available at www.medscape.com/sites/public/lifestyle/ 2012. Published March 22, 2012. Accessed August 16, 2012.
- Bartels M, Saviouk V, de Moor MHM, et al. Heritability and genome-wide linkage scan of subjective happiness. Twin Res Hum Genet. 2010;13:135-142.
- De Neve JE. Functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) in the serotonin transporter gene is associated with subjective well-being: Evidence from a US nationally representative sample. J Hum Genet. 2011;56:456-459.
- McManus IC, Iqbal S, Chandrarajan A, Ferguson E, Leaviss J. Unhappiness and dissatisfaction in doctors cannot be predicted by selectors from medical school application forms: A prospective, longitudinal study. BMC Med Educ. 2005;5:38.
- Morishima Y, Schunk D, Bruhin A, Ruff CC, Fehr E. Linking brain structure and activation in temporoparietal junction to explain the neurobiology of human altruism. Neuron. 2012;75:73-97.
- Aknina LB, Nortonb MI, Dunna EW. From wealth to well-being? Money matters, but less than people think. J Posit Psychol. 2009;4:523-527.
