Scientists from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have discovered that physiological stress (high levels of the hormone cortisol in the blood) impairs the brain's ability to perform normal functions.
The journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, notes that cognitive reserve is the brain's ability to cope with the effects of disease or age-related changes while maintaining its normal function.
According to scientists, cognitive stimulation and enrichment of life experiences and behaviors, such as higher education, challenging work, continuous physical and recreational activities, and healthy social interactions, help build cognitive reserve. The high or constant level of stress exhausts him.
This became clear to scientists from the results of a study in which 113 volunteers participated, during which they evaluated the physiological stress levels of each volunteer who suffered or was suffering from it, by evaluating the level of the hormone cortisol in saliva. The psychological stress levels of the participants were also determined using special tests.
It turns out that severe physiological stress is associated with more pronounced biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. Scientists believe that stress indirectly depletes cognitive reserve, which negatively affects sleep quality. According to them, practicing mindfulness and meditation exercises can reduce the level of cortisol and prevent unwanted changes in the brain and thus its effect on the psyche.
Our stress levels must be checked.
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