Human mental illness can be understood better through personality of chimps
![They determined that a larger hippocampus led to increased alpha behaviour which means lower self-regulation (Photo: AFP) They determined that a larger hippocampus led to increased alpha behaviour which means lower self-regulation (Photo: AFP)](https://s3.ap-southeast-1.amazonaws.com/images.asianage.com/images/aa-Cover-e6lbauj4t03o5fde6olc7377q5-20180709144108.Medi.jpeg)
Mental illness is a major health concern for people across the globe as different ways of tackling it are also being devised. While certain species have personality traits similar to humans, such a link can be used to improve mental healthcare.
Researchers have revealed that the brain structure and personality of a chimp can help understand human mental illness better. Like human beings, their personalities also shape as a response to neural and genetic factors.
Individual traits are associated with the size of the chimp’s hippocampus which is crucial for memory and emotions. The findings can facilitate a better understanding of brain structure in humans and its link to mental health issues.
They determined that a larger hippocampus led to increased ‘alpha’ behaviour which means lower self-regulation.