“In today’s generation, it seems as though humans are all bound by this idea ..”
Alishah Shabbir
SPECTRUM Writer
April 10, 2016
Currently, I’m sitting in my room pretending to be on top of my life when in reality I have four assignments due within the next two weeks and two midterms to cram for after this weekend. I have this knotted feeling in my stomach and a thumping heart that has no plan of stopping any time soon. We’ve all been there. It’s called stress. My mom says it’s normal and should be used to motivate you to complete the task at hand. That’s some solid advice, but what happens when stress becomes a cloud over your head and you only feed it by ignoring it?
In todays generation, it seems as though humans are all bound by this idea that everyone is going through situations that stress them out and that they cope with it through outlets such as writing, talking, social media, or in my case reading. Stressors are everywhere and come free with our university tuition fees (what a joy). It seems normal to be stressed out for some people. The people I engage with on a daily basis for example always have something on their mind and are constantly telling me they wished they had more time, sleep, or peace. But what if they had more of their prefrontal cortex?
“The prefrontal cortex (PFC)—the most evolved brain region—subserves our highest-order cognitive abilities. However, it is also the brain region that is most sensitive to the detrimental effects of stress exposure” (Arnsten, 2009, p. 410). The PFC provides a top-down regulation of emotion, cognitive response, and thought, which is used to suppress inappropriate reactions to stress and create a clear sense of other peoples’ actions as well as our own. When the human brain is in a calm and relaxed state, the PFC has a strong control over the person’s ability to remain calm and relaxed. When a person is stress-free, they also have a moderate and optimal level of catecholamine (monoamines released in the brainstem where noradrenaline responses occur) present in the brain, strengthening the function of the PFC. However, when an individual faces a stressful situation, over a prolonged period of time, varying levels of catecholamine accumulate in the brain, weakening the function of the PFC. As the PFC function decreases, the amygdala portion of the brain, which is associated with survival instincts and emotions, becomes strengthened and causes the brain to shift its normal and more advanced top-down view from the PFC to a less constructive bottom-up control over the body. This allows the brain to concentrate on sensory and motor responses to situations instead of using the more focused response the PFC provides (Arnsten, 2015, p. 90).
In more ways than one, stress has a way of deteriorating the cognitive abilities of an individual by creating a constant state of panic over the mind and body, decreasing the function of the PFC, and consequently decreasing the ability for individuals to make rational decisions and express thoughtful emotion in everyday life. Without being able to act and live life to your full mental potential, you are limiting your effect and input to the changes that happen in the immediate world around you.
Next time you’re stressed out, or if you’re currently dealing with a stressful situation (because I know we all are in some way), remember what you’re doing to your brain and make a more ‘thoughtful’ and clear decision to inhibit and limit it to the best of your abilities. Go for a karaoke night with your friends, stay up late watching a movie, eat chocolate, or exercise. There’s always going to be something for you to hand in or something for you to do but just take it one brain cell at a time because, hey, we’re only human and although we have some of the most advanced brains among most species, we need to learn what to do and not to do with them.
Bibliography
Arnsten, A. F., Raskind, M. A., Taylor, F. B., & Connor, D. F. (2015). The effects of stress exposure on prefrontal cortex: Translating basic research into successful treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder. Neurobiology of Stress, 1, 89-99.
Arnsten, A. F. (2009). Stress signalling pathways that impair prefrontal cortex structure and function. Nature Reviews Neuroscience Nat Rev Neurosci, 10(6), 410-422.
Prefrontal cortical versus amygdala circuits: The switch from non-stress to stress conditions. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2907136/figure/F5/