Games, Puzzles & IQ Tests

A new study coming out of Stanford illuminates the role of stress on the brain and highlights both the danger and power of neuroplasticity. For those who’d rather not hear about the cruel treatment of lab rats, I’ll avoid discussing the details here, but the general gist of it is that a stressed brain tends to reprogram itself and reinfornce the behaviors responsible for the stress. Because neuroplasticity tends to occur more readily in stressful conditions (which might be a handy evolutionary advantage), it has the unfortunate effect in modern times of quickly reinforcing the behaviors that are causing our problems, create a vicious downward spiral.

From lead researcher Dr. Nuno Sousa:

“Behaviors become habitual faster in stressed animals than in the controls, and worse, the stressed animals can’t shift back to goal-directed behaviors when that would be the better approach,”

The good new though for anyone caught in such a rut is that even after your brain has rewired itself for the worse, it still has the potential to heal and unlearn those bad habits. So, if you ever find yourself in a bad place, take some time to reflect on your situation, realize that much of it may be of your own making, and make the extra effort to step away from the habits and routines that are contributing to your stress – a brighter future is well within your reach.

“The brain is a very resilient and plastic organ,” he said. “Dendrites and synapses retract and reform, and reversible remodeling can occur throughout life.”

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