Monday, June 08, 2020

How Covid-19 stress scrambles our brains

The pandemic is providing an opportunity for a massive, real-time experiment on stress.  Even mild stress can impair the activities of the prefrontal cortex areas 'executive' functions that regulate our attentional focus and emotions. When this area grows more quiet more reactionary brain networks that it normally inhits (centering on the amygdalae) are unleashed. You should read the article by Laura Sanders that describes, with clear illustrations, experiments showing how our thoughtful planning activities are disrupted by stress.

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