The brain is considered as one of the most interesting and complex organs in our human body.

Brain acts as the primary control centre for our whole body and it can be affected by various forms of stress.

Stress has a significant role in our lives i.e. it will help us prepare for danger or respond to emergencies. Stress is an unavoidable event that happens in our day to day life.

Do you know that stress has a significant role in brain functions and affects the organ? Well, through this informative blog, Karetrip will make you delve into the surprising effects of stress on the brain.

What is Stress ?

Stress can occur in different forms in daily lives. It can occur in family, workplace and even in interpersonal relationships. Some may have stress while having issues regarding finance, health and personal problems.

Our mind and body may mobilise into actions which will be either fighting this situation or escaping from this situation (flight), when encountered with a potential threat. You might be knowing how stress adversely affects our health and well being.

It sometimes causes physical symptoms such as headaches and chest pain. It can even produce mood problems such as anxiety or depression. It may also lead to behavioural problems such as outbursts of anger or overeating.

Stress has a significant effect on our brain too. When faced with threat , the brain goes through a series of reactions which include both positive and negative.

Sometimes, stress can help in sharpening the mind and improving our ability to remember certain things. But at the same time , it has negative effects also on the brain, which include the probability of developing a mental illness and even shrinking of the brain.

How Stress Affects the Brain?

• Stress Increases Mental Health Issues

Chronic Stress can increase the likelihood of developing severe mental disorders.

According to many researches, it was found that chronic stress plays a significant role in developing conditions such as Depression, Bipolar Disorder and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. Chronic stress may lead to long term changes in the brain.

These changes may help in explaining why those who have chronic stress are more prone to develop anxiety and depression. According to certain research, there are a series of experiments looking at the result of chronic stress on the brain.

It was found by them that stress can produce more myelin producing cells but fewer neurons compared to normal.

This disruption will result in excess production of myelin in certain areas of the brain , which interferes with the timing and balance of communication.

Stress can have negative effects on the area named hippocampus in the brain. According to imaging studies , stress can disrupt the secretion of dopamine and serotonin in the body.

• Stress Hurts Your Memory

Have you ever noticed that when you are encountering a stressful event , your memory for the details seema a bit fuzzy? This is because stress will make events a little bit difficult to remember.

Even relatively minor stress can instantly impact your memory adversely.

Animal Studies have shown that stress can impact memory and learning.

It is said that chronic stress can hurt spatial memory, which is the ability to recall information about the spatial orientation and location of objects in the environment.

According to another study, high levels of stress hormone cortisol were connected to short term memory. Sometimes a little stress can boost memory.

A minor stress at the right time can give a boost to your memory.

• Stress Changes the Brain's Structure

Chronic stress can cause long term changes in the structure and function of the brain. Gray matter, one of the important parts of the brain, is responsible for higher-order thinking such as decision making and problem solving.

The brain also contains white matter , which is made up of all the axons which connect with other regions of the brain to communicate information. White matter got its name due to the fatty white sheath that surrounds the axon known as myelin.

Myelin speeds up the electrical signals which are used to communicate information throughout the brain.

When chronic stress causes an overproduction of myelin, it just doesn't result in short-term change in balance between white and gray matter. It can lead to lasting changes in the brain’s structure.

• Stress damages Brain Cells

Stress can not only change the structure of the brain but also can destroy neurons in your brain particularly those that have been newly formed. Stress can limit or even stop the production of new neurons in the hippocampus.

Hippocampus is one of the regions in the brain which helps in regulation of processes such as memory , emotion and learning. It is one of the areas where neurogenesis occurs. Neurogenesis is the formation of new brain cells throughout life.

Chronic stress and prolonged exposure to hormones such as cortisol will increase the production of glutamate which is an excitatory neurotransmitter that plays a significant role in regulation of mood , cognition and memory function.

Excessive production of glutamate can contribute to the damage or death of cells of the brain.

This will increase the risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington’s disease.

• Stress Shrinks the Brain

The overall brain volume is reduced to a great extent when stressful events are presented. Shrinkage of the brain will lead to problems in regulation of emotion , metabolism and memory.

There is a high risk of experiencing shrinkage in brain volume , particularly in critical areas such as hippocampus and prefrontal cortex due to the production of high levels of cortisol.

Even participants with high cortisol levels will lose a higher volume of the brain and perform worse on cognitive and memory tests.

People often link negative outcomes with sudden intense stress which has been created by life altering or life changing events such as car accidents , death of a loved one or a natural disaster.

Researchers suggest that this exposure to stressors consistently may lead to development of a wide range of mental disorders.

FAQs

1. What is the difference between stress and Anxiety?

Ans: Stress is defined as something that happens to your physical body. Feeling accompanied with bodily changes are stressful. Any event or scenario which makes you feel tense , overwhelmed , frustrated or nervous can trigger the stress. Anxiety is a feeling of fear, hopelessness or uneasiness.

2.What are the other negative effects of stress on the brain?

Ans : Stress can not only cause shrinkage , memory loss and weakening but also can lead to chronic inflammation. It may later lead to diseases such as cardiovascular diseases , diabetes etc.

3.How can we manage stress?

Ans : Establishing a control on yourself , changing your lifestyle which includes a sound sleep, organised routine etc can reduce stress. Relaxation techniques such as Deep Breathing, Mindfulness and Imagery can be used to reduce stress.