Stress has harmful effects on the brain

After being under the severe stress and anxiety associated with exams or papers, most of us are able to readjust after the assessment is submitted. We can finally get a good night’s sleep, and our mental state is much better than it was before the exam. It’s great if we feel back on track by having a healthy and relaxing post-exam day, but a recent study by researchers at Hopkins has found that the effects of stress are not restricted to the temporary feelings of anxiety. Stress, according to this study, can be permanently harmful to the brain.

The researchers performed this study by administering cortisol to mice. Cortisol, also known as glucocorticoid, is the same hormone that humans produce under stress. Surprisingly, the researchers found that mice given significant amounts of cortisol not only experienced changes in their DNA, but also had changes in their brain tissue. These two types of changes were found to be intertwined; when there was a large number of DNA modifications, there was also significant changes to brain tissue. This link is an example of a well-documented physiological relationship known as the “blood-brain connection.”

So, why is the blood-brain connection important? It was previously assumed in the scientific community that DNA changes in the brain aligned with DNA changes in the blood. This particular study is notable because it confirms that we can learn about changes to the brain through observing changes in the blood. The blood-brain connection has great implications for the medical field, as it is far easier to monitor the blood than it is to detect changes in the brain.

The switch from brain monitoring to blood tests could lead to a revolution in medicine. Firstly, this switch could lead to more cost-effective treatment. Currently, patients and healthcare companies often face overwhelming financial costs when attempting to find any changes in the composition of the brain. If the blood-brain connection is as tight as this study suggests, costly brain procedures could be replaced with less financially demanding efforts to detect changes in blood. This would play a major role in the healthcare system’s attempt to bend its cost curve. 

Secondly, this research could significantly help mental health patients who have difficulty finding the right medication. By monitoring the blood for DNA changes, physicians can easily determine the effects of a certain medication. This will allow doctors to decide whether another medication might be better suited for the patient much faster than currently possible.  

The Hopkins researchers who have helped to establish this blood-brain connection are not likely to stop with this study. When the researchers were observing the effects of stress hormones on mice, they found that changes in the brain were not located in the expected locations. During treatment for mental disorders, it is extremely useful to know the areas of the brain that are affected by medication and areas of the brain that typically resist medication-induced changes. With further research, this knowledge could be extensively developed, potentially helping patients worldwide.