| 22 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago Study takes look at smokers' choices
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(NECN/ABC) - Why are addicts so bad at thinking about tomorrow, beyond viewing it as a better time to quit than today? New research shows smokers' brains ignore signals about what might happen.
Why does anyone pay money to poison their body, risk their health and shorten their lifespan? Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine found that while smokers' brains can recognize a losing gamble, that fails to affect their behavior.
The researchers watched for brain signals that figure out what might have been. In non-smokers, these signals could predict the player's next bid, but as published in "Nature Neuroscience," they had no influence on smokers' choices.
Researchers hope these new methods might lead to new treatments. They are also planning experiments to figure out which comes first -- the brain error or the addiction.
ABC News reporter Brad Kloza has more.
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