Rarely associate could make changed brain structure

Illustration (dok: Thinkstock)

Once upon a time, people need to be alone to reflect or simply calming the mind. But not for long, for too long withdrawn can trigger structural changes in the brain that affect behavioral disorders.

The findings were revealed in a study at the University at Buffalo and Mt Sinai School of Medicine is increasingly emphasized the plasticity of the brain or brain vulnerability to changed environmental conditions adjust. Including when rarely get along, it would also change the structure of the brain.

Changes in the structure of the brain when a person is believed to occur infrequently associate in the formation of the myelin sheath or nerve in the prefrontal cortex. This section is responsible for the cognitive and emotional behavior, so lack of myelin can lead to behavioral disorders.

Previously, the myelin deficiency is also associated with psychiatric disorders and the risk for depression. This time, the formation of myelin shown to be affected by the condition of loneliness due to withdraw from social interaction.

Karen Dietz, PhD, who conducted this research using adult mice in the experimental group terabarunya. Mice normally have a social creature, in this study isolated and conditioned to always depressed because they do not have any friends.

After some time, the rat brains dissected and observed in the laboratory and compared with the mice that lived with a normal association. Evidently, the longer relegated the formation of myelin in the prefrontal cortex will be less.

"This study for the first time provide an explanation of the mechanism behind brain plasticity by showing that changes in social interaction can affect the formation of myelin," Dietz said as quoted by the ScienceDaily, Monday (12/11/2012).

source:  Sciencedaily