It's been known for some time now that severe stress lasting weeks or months can harm cell communication in the brain but a recent study conducted by Dr.Tallie Z. Baram, the Danette Shepard Chair in Neurological Sciences in the UC Irvine School of Medicine and her team found that short term stress lasting only hours has the same debilitating effect on the brain.
The study found that acute stress activates selected molecules of cortisol, a widely known stress hormon, activates the release of corticotropin releasing hormones(CRH). The release of CRH speeds up the disintegration of dendritic spines.
Dendritic spines are protrusions on neuron which houses the synapses. As learning and memory takes place in the synapses, the release of CRH in brain's hippocampus region, the brain's main learning and memory center greatly affects this process.
So the next time you are stressed in for a few short hours keep in mind that you are harming your brain.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine.
The study found that acute stress activates selected molecules of cortisol, a widely known stress hormon, activates the release of corticotropin releasing hormones(CRH). The release of CRH speeds up the disintegration of dendritic spines.
Dendritic spines are protrusions on neuron which houses the synapses. As learning and memory takes place in the synapses, the release of CRH in brain's hippocampus region, the brain's main learning and memory center greatly affects this process.
So the next time you are stressed in for a few short hours keep in mind that you are harming your brain.
Adapted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine.
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