Our Senses Can't Learn Under Stress!

Posted on January 12, 2017

Like everything in life, take things in moderation. This includes stress. Stress can serve as a motivation for us to do things and is part of everyday life. However, too much stress can negatively impact our mental and physical health. Particularly, it can dampen our senses and memory, affecting the way we perceive and learn.

Neuroscientists from the Ruhr University Bochum explain that a stress hormone called cortisol blocks our ability to sharpen our senses. More specifically, cortisol blocks improvements made to our senses by acting as a blockade to synaptic connections. These type of connections, if strong, are able to enhance the speed at which we gather, store or retrieve information. Thus, stress can inhibit our perceptual learning and disrupts memory in the hippocampus.

In other words, as cortisol blocks these synaptic connections, our ability to learn is weaker. We are not able to respond to stimuli as fast or readily under stress. Stay healthy by getting enough rest and eating regular meals. It will give your brain a good mental boost!


Category(s):Stress Management

Source material from Science Daily