Stressed out and not thinking straight

By Scicurious | December 5, 2012 |

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In times of acute stress, we really DON’T think straight. In fact, we suffer deficits in working memory. And we do this in spite of an increase in dopamine release from the neuron terminals there, which we usually think of as being associated with important stimuli (like food or drugs) in the prefrontal cortex. So what causes this increase, and what does it mean? And how can we use this knowledge to reverse cognitive deficits associated with stress? Head over to Neurotic Physiology to find out!

About the Author: Scicurious is a PhD in Physiology, and is currently a postdoc in biomedical research. She loves the brain. And so should you. Follow on Twitter @Scicurious.

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The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.

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