Stress can really affect how our brains work, especially when it comes to learning and making new memories. Let’s break down what this means in a simpler way.
Changes in Brain Chemicals: When we feel stressed, a chemical called cortisol goes up. This can lower another important brain chemical called serotonin by about 30%. This drop can make us feel sad or confused.
Creating New Brain Cells: Too much stress over a long time can reduce the growth of new cells in an area of the brain called the hippocampus by about 50%. This can make it harder to remember things.
Learning Difficulties: Being very stressed can also hurt our working memory by 25%. This means we can’t hold and use information as well, which makes learning tougher.
Changes in Brain Structure: Stress can shrink the branches of certain brain cells in the prefrontal cortex by about 20%. This can make it harder to plan and make decisions.
It's really important to understand how stress affects our brains. This knowledge can help us find better ways to teach and treat stress in medical settings.
Stress can really affect how our brains work, especially when it comes to learning and making new memories. Let’s break down what this means in a simpler way.
Changes in Brain Chemicals: When we feel stressed, a chemical called cortisol goes up. This can lower another important brain chemical called serotonin by about 30%. This drop can make us feel sad or confused.
Creating New Brain Cells: Too much stress over a long time can reduce the growth of new cells in an area of the brain called the hippocampus by about 50%. This can make it harder to remember things.
Learning Difficulties: Being very stressed can also hurt our working memory by 25%. This means we can’t hold and use information as well, which makes learning tougher.
Changes in Brain Structure: Stress can shrink the branches of certain brain cells in the prefrontal cortex by about 20%. This can make it harder to plan and make decisions.
It's really important to understand how stress affects our brains. This knowledge can help us find better ways to teach and treat stress in medical settings.