Prolonged mental activity leads to buildup of potentially toxic neurotransmitter in brain, study finds
The researchers measured levels of a neurotransmitter in the prefrontal cortex. They found a greater accumulation of glutamate in participants who were given the harder tasks.
Now, researchers suggest cognitive control may lead to the accumulation of glutamate in the brain – of which high levels can be harmful“We found that glutamate was accumulating in the region of the brain which controls the tasks we set participants,” said Wiehler. “Our understanding is that the brain has some kind of clearance mechanism to counteract this, which may slow down activity.”
When participants were asked to report their level of fatigue, no definitive link between glutamate and fatigue was found – the groups performing hard and easy tasks recorded the same tiredness. Researchers said this could be due to fatigue being subjective, and those doing the easy task were unaware of the difficulty of the other.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘Disturbing’ to see America ‘going down the drain’
Read more »
Jarvis Cocker tells how an attic full of junk unlocked his ‘superpower’The musician’s sort-of memoir, Good Pop Bad Pop, is the Pulp singer’s brain unpacked in illustrated book form.
Read more »
Kim Jong-un's sister blames South Korea for spreading COVIDNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has declared victory in his country's war against COVID-19 as his powerful sister blasted Seoul for allegedly triggering an unwanted outbreak of the virus.
Read more »
Love Machine killer was acting on his dad’s orders, lawyer tells courtThe killer who gunned down two men outside a Melbourne nightclub should receive a shorter sentence, his lawyers say, because he had been ordered to open fire by the father he feared – the late crime boss Nabil Maghnie | acooperjourno courts
Read more »
New drug shows promising results for stroke sufferersThe hours after a stroke are crucial and Perth scientists are hoping a breakthrough drug can reduce the severity of an attack.
Read more »
New drug shows promising results for stroke sufferersThe hours after a stroke are crucial and Perth scientists are hoping a breakthrough drug can reduce the severity of an attack.
Read more »