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New Research: Curiosity (Over Fear) Leads to Better Brain Health and Reduced Risk for Depression and Anxiety

What kind of study was this?

This was a rat study where the animals were separated into two different treatment groups and then were given tests to see if the treatments led to different results.

What did researchers want to know?

Researchers wanted to know if different types of stimulation to a special part of the brain would cause cognitive decline to slow.

What did the researchers actually do?

Researchers affected rats’ brains in a way that would eventually lead to symptoms of cognitive decline. Then they separated the rats into different groups: one group received brain stimulation associated with calm curiosity and interesting new experiences and the other group received brain stimulation associated with chronic stress. Then they gave all the rats a series of tests to measure cognitive decline.

What did the researchers find?

They found that the rats given the “interesting new experiences” stimulation did not show cognitive decline, but the rats given the stimulation associated with chronic stress showed cognitive decline as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.  

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Exposing ourselves and our kids to interesting new experiences while encouraging open curiosity can protect against depression and anxiety as well as the cognitive effects of aging. What’s something new and interesting you can do as a family next week?

‍

Original article:
Omoluabi T, et al. Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021 Dec 31;7(1):e12231. doi: 10.1002/trc2.12231. PMID: 35005208; PMCID: PMC8719346.

‍

New Research: Curiosity (Over Fear) Leads to Better Brain Health and Reduced Risk for Depression and Anxiety

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New Research: Curiosity (Over Fear) Leads to Better Brain Health and Reduced Risk for Depression and Anxiety

Age-related damage to the brain can cause cognitive decline. Researchers showed that in rats, brain stimulation associated with curiosity and new experiences reduces the risk for depression and anxiety related to brain aging.

By

The Yes Collective Expert Team

April 12, 2022

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What kind of study was this?

This was a rat study where the animals were separated into two different treatment groups and then were given tests to see if the treatments led to different results.

What did researchers want to know?

Researchers wanted to know if different types of stimulation to a special part of the brain would cause cognitive decline to slow.

What did the researchers actually do?

Researchers affected rats’ brains in a way that would eventually lead to symptoms of cognitive decline. Then they separated the rats into different groups: one group received brain stimulation associated with calm curiosity and interesting new experiences and the other group received brain stimulation associated with chronic stress. Then they gave all the rats a series of tests to measure cognitive decline.

What did the researchers find?

They found that the rats given the “interesting new experiences” stimulation did not show cognitive decline, but the rats given the stimulation associated with chronic stress showed cognitive decline as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.  

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Exposing ourselves and our kids to interesting new experiences while encouraging open curiosity can protect against depression and anxiety as well as the cognitive effects of aging. What’s something new and interesting you can do as a family next week?

‍

Original article:
Omoluabi T, et al. Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021 Dec 31;7(1):e12231. doi: 10.1002/trc2.12231. PMID: 35005208; PMCID: PMC8719346.

‍

What kind of study was this?

This was a rat study where the animals were separated into two different treatment groups and then were given tests to see if the treatments led to different results.

What did researchers want to know?

Researchers wanted to know if different types of stimulation to a special part of the brain would cause cognitive decline to slow.

What did the researchers actually do?

Researchers affected rats’ brains in a way that would eventually lead to symptoms of cognitive decline. Then they separated the rats into different groups: one group received brain stimulation associated with calm curiosity and interesting new experiences and the other group received brain stimulation associated with chronic stress. Then they gave all the rats a series of tests to measure cognitive decline.

What did the researchers find?

They found that the rats given the “interesting new experiences” stimulation did not show cognitive decline, but the rats given the stimulation associated with chronic stress showed cognitive decline as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.  

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Exposing ourselves and our kids to interesting new experiences while encouraging open curiosity can protect against depression and anxiety as well as the cognitive effects of aging. What’s something new and interesting you can do as a family next week?

‍

Original article:
Omoluabi T, et al. Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021 Dec 31;7(1):e12231. doi: 10.1002/trc2.12231. PMID: 35005208; PMCID: PMC8719346.

‍

What kind of study was this?

This was a rat study where the animals were separated into two different treatment groups and then were given tests to see if the treatments led to different results.

What did researchers want to know?

Researchers wanted to know if different types of stimulation to a special part of the brain would cause cognitive decline to slow.

What did the researchers actually do?

Researchers affected rats’ brains in a way that would eventually lead to symptoms of cognitive decline. Then they separated the rats into different groups: one group received brain stimulation associated with calm curiosity and interesting new experiences and the other group received brain stimulation associated with chronic stress. Then they gave all the rats a series of tests to measure cognitive decline.

What did the researchers find?

They found that the rats given the “interesting new experiences” stimulation did not show cognitive decline, but the rats given the stimulation associated with chronic stress showed cognitive decline as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.  

What does this mean for parents and kids?

Exposing ourselves and our kids to interesting new experiences while encouraging open curiosity can protect against depression and anxiety as well as the cognitive effects of aging. What’s something new and interesting you can do as a family next week?

‍

Original article:
Omoluabi T, et al. Novelty-like activation of locus coeruleus protects against deleterious human pretangle tau effects while stress-inducing activation worsens its effects. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2021 Dec 31;7(1):e12231. doi: 10.1002/trc2.12231. PMID: 35005208; PMCID: PMC8719346.

‍

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