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In the face of the many unresolved issues that Kovid-19 poses before us, the only thing that remains — those who can — is to shelter at home and distance themselves from society for a long time, most likely in the winter. However, Conclusion – one of the most stressful situations for our brain. Why?
Dr. Alexis Dagnino, a researcher at the Laboratory of Stress Neurobiology and the Center for Neurobiology and Integrative Physiology (CENFI) at the University of Valparaiso, who developed a research line based on the neurobiology of stress and resistance, explains why Confinement is one of the situations that strains our brain the most , and also provides a series of tips to prevent our brain diseases.
Alexis Dagnino, Researcher at the Laboratory for Stress Neurobiology and the Center for Neurobiology and Integrative Physiology (CENFI) W. Valparaiso warns that at the mental health level we were ill prepared for this pandemic, Mental health in our country had already deteriorated dramatically before a social outbreak occurred in October last year, and COVID-19 began to attack something significant in people, our social behavior, the heart of the 21st century world, hyper-contact society in all countries . the senses.
Dr. Dagnino explains that “Just as when the first people appeared, the area located in the center of the brain, called the amygdala complex, began to specialize in detecting danger and activating fear. So, as when we were saved from the lion, now we are saved from the virus, for our brain it is the same primitive survival mechanism that is activated. Once fear is activated, the hypothalamus (another structure of the brain) also activates and controls another primitive mechanism in the brain, called the HPA axis, a complex neuroendocrine system that forces us to fight or avoid danger and thus survive, adapt, that this is stress. “
In addition, the researcher continues, social distance is one of the things that strains our brain the most. This is because “People are a very sociable kind, we feel pleasure when we share them with friends or family, because our brain is washed by a neurotransmitter called dopamine, our social behavior is a natural reward, like sex or food.”
In addition, he explained that “social distance disturbs us, because it is difficult for our brain to adapt to places where there is little social interaction. The consequence of this is what we know as “chronic distress,” simply put, it is toxic stress that causes neuroinflammation and damages parts of the brain that regulate our emotions, increasing the likelihood of developing neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression or thirsty disorders. ”
But what can we do?
According to the researcher, we should try to accelerate our ability to adapt to the new scenario that caused the pandemic. In other words, we must learn to be persistent once again in the history of our country.
“Resilience is the ability of our brain to adapt more quickly to stressful situations. The vulnerability of our brain to stress depends on our genes (epigenetics), on the development of our brain in the early stages, and on our life experience. All of these factors have a great effect on the neural circuits that regulate our response to stress. In the same house, we may have a brain that is susceptible and resistant to the stress that causes COVID-19. Several studies have shown that stress-tolerant behavior spreads between people like a virus, something very strange, and neuroscience is trying to figure it out, ”added Dagnino.
Since most Chileans cannot take a helicopter and go to the second house to get a better understanding of what we are experiencing, Dr. Dagnino offers a series of tips based on neuroscience that will be useful to most people who will also experience the economic consequences of this crisis.
Patterns of love
“An English colleague named Francis McGlone discovered that when we take care of our skin, the social part of our brain is activated, which we cannot activate because of the social isolation imposed by COVID-19. Recently, we conducted groundbreaking experiments that show that this type of skin stimulation makes the brain more resistant to stress. ”says an academic from Valparaiso.
Sensory stimulation
As the neuroscientist explains, what we experience is social distance, this does not mean strict social isolation. Dr. Dagnino argues that our social behavior is not only reduced to physical contact, it is more complex because it includes all our senses.
For example, “we can listen to each other and convey our emotions without physical contact. For those who have Internet access, they can connect with family and friends through social networks. However, there are a large number of Chileans who do not have Internet access. In these cases, it may be useful to talk with neighbors for several days, always maintaining a social distance. This will reduce stress and anxiety and also keep our social network strong. ”
The researcher claims that negative stress (distress) causes sensory deprivation, that is, “he slowly isolates our brain from the world in which we live. This happens because sensory neurons connect to the amygdala complex, acquiring an emotional component. ”
“When we do not adapt to the environment in which we live, for example, to the threat of COVID-19, the hypertrophy of the amygdala complex and the emotional processing of what we perceive in the world worsen. There are two sensory systems that are more vulnerable to this, the auditory and olfactory systems, the latter due to the fact that it has direct nerve connections in the amygdala complex. When we feel something, our brain first turns into emotions, and then into something rational. So, at this time of social distance, it’s good to stimulate oneself by sensory, look for sounds or smells that make us evoke positive memories of our lives. ”
Rewarding memories
The doctor of neurobiology adds that “recent studies of neurobiological control have shown that when We evoke autobiographical memories, areas related to the control of emotions and stress, such as the amygdala complex, are activated in our brain. It may be good to take old photographs that we have at home and share experiences with our relatives. ”
Goodbye junk food
In addition, caring for our diet is key in this period of social distancing, because stress and unhealthy diets, such as junk foods, increase the vulnerability of our brain to the development of neuropsychiatric diseases such as depression. Junk foods have a high concentration of fatty acids called omega-6s, such as arachidonic acid. When these molecules reach the brain in abundance, they turn into lipids, which contribute to neuroinflammation. It is believed that this process is necessary for the development of most mental illnesses, ”said Dagnino.
Physical activity
In the same vein, the neuroscientist continues, voluntary exercise and attempts to maintain a good mood have a very positive effect on the brain, since “This allows the brain to better saturate itself with oxygen, which positively affects the physiology of the brain. When we laugh, endorphins are released, these molecules enhance the activity of the immune system. Conversely, cortisol, known as the stress hormone, is the main endogenous immunosuppressant we have. ”
Children and older people
“It is very important to take care of these risk groups in the social isolation that we experience. Cortisol is released into the blood from the adrenal glands, which are located above our kidneys. With age, this gland begins to secrete more cortisol. This means that in older people, the response to stress increases more than in young people. ”
“On the other hand, the frontal cortex is less developed in children than in adults. The frontal cortex regulates the activity of the amygdala complex during a reaction to stress. Simply put, the frontal cortex is like a brake on the reaction to stress. For these reasons, the brains of older people and children are very vulnerable to the effects of stress caused by social exclusion. ”
In conclusion, Dr. Dagnino says: “Without a doubt, COVID-19 can destroy our healthcare system, and this is a watershed moment. If we try to control the stress caused by social distance, we will make a small contribution to not reaching this turning point. There is a very good chance that we will spend the winter with the threat of COVID-19 and social distance in our homes.
“Every day, stress and our mental health will become increasingly important because uncertainty will increase, as will fear and anxiety, so it will all be over soon.” Nevertheless, the decision remains in our hands, we must learn to adapt to the new scenario that we are experiencing, we must learn to be flexible, I am convinced that we will succeed. ”
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