{"id":5619,"date":"2018-05-04T12:56:45","date_gmt":"2018-05-04T12:56:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/braintest.com\/?post_type=kbe_knowledgebase&p=5619"},"modified":"2020-03-09T22:47:17","modified_gmt":"2020-03-09T22:47:17","slug":"chronic-stress-overworked-brains-alzheimers","status":"publish","type":"kbe_knowledgebase","link":"https:\/\/braintest.com\/chronic-stress-overworked-brains-alzheimers\/","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Stress, Overworked Brains, and Alzheimer’s"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the United States, people work long hours and rarely take vacations. <\/span><\/p>\n

B<\/span>eing a culture that is battling burnout<\/span>, Am<\/span>ericans are said to be the most \u201coverworked\u201d people in the developed world. But at what true cost?<\/span><\/p>\n

Th<\/span>e impact on one\u2019s personal life and physical health are apparent. However, researchers are also now beginning to understand the true neural ramifications of a population that is overworked. <\/span><\/p>\n

Long Working Hours, Chronic Stress and Alzheimer\u2019s <\/span><\/h1>\n

\u201cBurnout\u201d is real, and it is a term that is now being used within the medical community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Although there is technically no such diagnosis, doctors are seeing more and more patients suffering from chronic stress. In most cases, the cause of their stress is triggered by work.<\/p>\n

As reported in <\/span>this survey<\/span><\/a>, when 2,000 full-time U.S. employees were asked to rate their stress on a scale of one to five, more than 25 percent said four. Overall, more than 70 percent rated their stress at a level of three or higher. The most significant variables were complicated work, long or erratic hour, a lack of control, and tough deadlines.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is leading to increasing rates of burnout<\/span><\/h3>\n

Known as a lifestyle-related condition, burnout has been shown to cause lasting changes in the brain\u2019s physical structure. When exposed to chronic stress, key areas of the brain, including the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex appear to age prematurely.<\/p>\n

Since neural regions associated with fear and anxiety overlap with areas impacted by Alzheimer\u2019s, chronic stress due to one\u2019s work environment may lead to an increased risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

Chronic stress and depression are also closely linked,\u00a0which both affect the brain\u2019s hippocampus region. It has been found that when suffering from Alzheimer\u2019s, the hippocampus shrinks. The same is true when suffering from depression.<\/p>\n

The good news is, researchers also believe that stress-induced damage may be reversible. Physical activity is one variable that is believed to improve the hippocampus.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Genetic Variant May Lead to an \u201cOverworked\u201d Brain<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is well understood that age is the greatest risk factor for Alzheimer\u2019s. However, could an overworked brain in one\u2019s youth increase their risk?<\/span><\/p>\n

In this study<\/span><\/a>, published<\/span> in the journal<\/span> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, <\/span><\/i>a t<\/span>eam of researchers <\/span>found that under certain circumstances, this association may be true. Young adults who carry the APOE4 genetic variant, display<\/span>ed changes in brain activity years before any symptoms arise. <\/span><\/p>\n

The study supports the theory that the brain\u2019s memory function may wear itself out over time, resulting in the development of Alzheimer\u2019s. After studying 36 volunteers (half of which carried at least one copy of the <\/span>APOE4 gene variant), it was clear that the brains of carriers and non-carriers showed differences in brain activity patterns.<\/span><\/p>\n

To summarize:<\/span><\/h3>\n