Is our amygdala responsible for the choice of spine doctor? Pilot study

Abstract

Behind the choice of a doctor, there is a whole world of neuroscience. The impact of the words on the conscious and unconscious level is underestimated and because of that many doctors are chosen wrongly. In order to estimate the latter impact, we asked 60 subjects who they think is responsible for the spine and to whom they will turn to for surgery. Afterwards we evaluated that not only the questions provoked the activation of different circuits through the amygdala but also a change in the response, concluding that the choice is actually emotion related process with many circuits and mechanisms of interaction. As the recent papers and books show, the operating team of the spine is playing a key role to the final outcome. To this, however, plays also a major role the fact that people do not fully understand the job of their doctor and many of them tend to make their choice based on fear. Understanding this could lead to improvement not only of the general health care but also of the final clinical outcome.