Excessive brain stimulation can damage nerve cell DNA

This is the excuse many people were hoping to be able to freak out in trials, monographs, dissertations and the like. It seems that that headache caused by excessive hours of study comes from factors other than tiredness.

This is not to say that studying kills, but recent research suggests that changes in our brains as we learn something new can actually cause minor DNA damage to our nerve cells. The studies began with a view to furthering understanding of Alzheimer's, but the findings went beyond what scientists expected.

As well?

These damages are usually resolved by our body soon after, but, as the brain does not always act so quickly, scientists work on the hypothesis that there is a relationship between these small lesions and the more serious neurological pathologies, such as Alzheimer's, a disease that was the initial focus of the research.

The researchers did memory and brain damage tests on mice that were genetically induced to “mimic” some diseases related to memory loss and dementia. The problems got bigger in the brains of animals as they had new tasks to do, such as exploring different environments.

Chain break

This brain damage is caused by what scientists call a "double stranded break, " which is when a DNA strand is split in half and divided into two parts. Among the rat cells placed in an environment with many visual stimuli, 40% showed damage to their DNA.

To prove the effect, the researchers tested the neural activity of mice by sending light stimuli while they were sedated. It was then realized that the brain responded to the stimulus in the same way as when the animals were awake, that is, it was actually the neural activity that was harming and even preventing certain commands sent by the brain.

Prevention

The question is, how can nerve cells damage your DNA if they are just doing what their job is? The most likely answer is that when our body processes high metabolic activities, it tends to create oxygen-free radicals, a factor that impairs the structure of DNA. And this is most aggravated in patients who already have memory problems and dementia.

Remember that the natural formation of our body can repair these genetic damages in a matter of one day. Staying mentally active can help prevent brain disease that presents with age.

These findings are actually more significant in treating patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Isn't it worth going around complaining that the amount of everyday stimulation is affecting your nerve cells, huh?