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How Nutrition Can Increase Motivation – In the Brain

How Nutrition Can Increase Motivation – In the Brain

by | 2022 Nov 11 | Public, Quick Hits

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Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

brain motivation

This is pretty fascinating research. Motivation after all is an important human concept, most of us would probably want more of it, and it is important for many positive life outcomes. And though we may consider motivation a purely psychological concept, it is driven by different chemicals and transmitters in the brain in different regions.

This research out of the EPFL in Lausanne Switzerland, started off by looking at how your brain breaks down molecules for processing, into metabolites, and how these influence motivation. As I have just said motivation is after all a biochemical reaction in certain parts of the brain which then energises you psychologically and physically to do something.

Another part of this equation is the role of oxidative stress – as the brain, or body, works different chemicals are released that can then impede and inhibit cellular functioning. So, these researchers looked at glutathione (GSH) in the brain – this is the brain’s most important antioxidant.

The theory would be that higher levels of this in an individual’s brain may protect against build-up of metabolites and stop motivation from decreasing. To test this, they then turned to rats and human beings. Using a very scientific sounding procedure of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy they managed to measure levels of GSH in a region of the brain called the nucleus accumbens. This region sitting deep in the brain is strongly associated with motivation and getting to action.

What they found is that yes, higher levels of GSH correlated to better performance in rats and humans, see we are similar, on effort-related motivational tasks.

So far so good, but as we know correlation is not the same as causation – it could be something else that is causing the motivation and the higher GSH levels are just a happy coincidence. The rats were then given micro injections of a GSH blocker – not for the humans – and yes, motivation dropped. As in they performed worse in effort-based, reward-incentivized tasks.

But more, can an increase also improve motivation? For this the researchers gave the rats N-acetylcysteine (NAC), a precursor (mearning that the brain can process more GSH) to GSH, and yes, the rats performed better on the same type of tasks. This is more interesting for us because NAC is present in high-protein foods such as meat, fish, and seafood and in lower quantities in eggs, whole-grain foods and some vegetables (broccoli, onions, and legumes, for example). It is also a nutritional supplement that anyone can buy over the counter.

The researchers did note that the effect did seem to be mediated by specific type of neuron in the nucleus accumbens.

But the major take away for now is that GSH is important for motivation by reducing the impacts of oxidative stress – so keeps you motivated for longer. And you can increase this by eating the right foods or potentially by taking NAC as a supplement.

Don’t expect too much but nevertheless good to know!.

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Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Eva Ramos-Fernández, Ioannis Zalachoras, Fiona Hollis, Laura Trovo, João Rodrigues, Alina Strasser, Olivia Zanoletti, Pascal Steiner, Nicolas Preitner, Lijing Xin, Simone Astori, Carmen Sandi. 
Glutathione in the nucleus accumbens regulates motivation to exert reward-incentivized effort. 
eLife, 2022; 11
DOI: 10.7554/eLife.77791

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Mindfulness Intervention as Effective as Drugs in Anxiety Disorders

Mindfulness Intervention as Effective as Drugs in Anxiety Disorders

by | 2022 Nov 10 | Public, Quick Hits

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Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

brain stress meditation mental health

We do know that mindfulness can be effective in many areas (such as pain reduction here) but a direct comparison to other interventions is often missing. This study is therefore a first of its kind – and an important one.

In this Elizabeth Hoge and colleagues of Georgetown University Medical Center compared mindfulness training with a common anxiety drug in those with anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders include general anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, and fear of certain places or situations, amongst others. These can be debilitating to some people and those who suffer form these are at higher risk of suicide and disability and are commonly treated in psychiatric clinics. Hence finding other effective interventions would be highly beneficial to the individuals but potentially also reduce costs and reliance on medication with all its side effects.

In this study 276 patients were recruited, and they were then randomly assigned to either a Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme for eight weeks or to the commonly used anxiety drug escitalopram. The patients were then assessed at the end of the eight-week intervention and then post treatment at 12 and 24 weeks after enrolment.

Of note is that the post treatment assessments were blinded meaning that the assessor did not know if the patient had been in the MBSR or drug group.

What were the results?

The researchers used a validated assessment which ranks anxiety on a scale of 1-7 and participants from both groups saw a reduction (1.35 for MBSR and 1.43 for the drug which in this case are statistically similar). This translated into about a 30% reduction in anxiety symptoms – not bad.

The MBSR intervention included a 2 ½ hour in-person class once per week, 45-minute daily home practice exercises and a 1-day retreat during the 5th or 6th week.

This is very promising research showing that a mindfulness intervention is as effective as a drug-based treatment but without the risk of side-effects and the effects extended post treatment. There are some obvious caveats and one is the amount of time needed to invest in this – similar to exercise interventions, many people know they should do it but still fail to complete the activities they should.

Hoge has also continued this research and is currently looking into the effects of online guided mindfulness programmes – I’ll be intrigued to see the results of that too.

But for now, we can now say mindfulness is as effective as drugs – and without the negative side effects – and potentially some very positive long-term impacts on many aspects of life. Good to know!

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Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Elizabeth A. Hoge, Eric Bui, Mihriye Mete, Mary Ann Dutton, Amanda W. Baker, Naomi M. Simon. 
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction vs Escitalopram for the Treatment of Adults With Anxiety Disorders. 
JAMA Psychiatry, 2022
DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.3679

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New Insights into How the Teenage Brain Develops

New Insights into How the Teenage Brain Develops

by | 2022 Nov 9 | Public, Quick Hits

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Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

brain teenager wellbeing mental health

Teenagers’ brains are different – as many parents of teenagers notice quite intensely!

Adolescence is a critical period – we all know that. And the brain also goes through a number of changes, some of them well documented and others not. Adolescence is also a time when major mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia emerge but it also when risk-taking behaviour peaks.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have now found compelling evidence of how this happens.

To do this the researchers around Maria Perica zoomed in on the prefrontal cortex of the brain. This region of the brain, at the front, your forehead, is considered the executive centre of the brain. The part that exerts control over other parts but also coordinates and consolidates lots of information. It is also an area involved heavily in decision-making.

Perica et al., used advanced imaging that gives double the resolution of normal imaging and compared the balance of two neurotransmitters in the fontal cortex of 144 adolescent and adult participants.

They specifically focused on the two main transmitters Glutamate and GABA. Glutamate is the brain’s man excitatory transmitter triggering action but also therefore involved in brain plasticity, triggering growth of the brain. GABA is the brain’s primary inhibitory transmitter, dampening and inhibiting transmission in the brain (also an essential function).

What did the researchers find?

They saw that the balance of glutamate increased through childhood and into adolescence before levelling off as adulthood approaches.

This suggest that this is putting the brain into a period of increased excitation and increased plasticity – the brain is at a stage of being able to sculpt and reform and also focus on things it may need in adulthood. This is also why exploratory but also risky behaviour increase at this time. Which as parents of teenagers know can also be challenging to deal with. But this is just nature preparing itself for adulthood.

There are also large risks such as the above-mentioned increased risk of mental illness.

This once again shows that teenagers behaviours are not just some strange psychological phenomenon but driven by a biological critical period of brain reorganisation – sometimes for the worse but mostly for the good.

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Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Maria I. Perica, Finnegan J. Calabro, Bart Larsen, Will Foran, Victor E. Yushmanov, Hoby Hetherington, Brenden Tervo-Clemmens, Chan-Hong Moon, Beatriz Luna.
Development of frontal GABA and glutamate supports excitation/inhibition balance from adolescence into adulthood.
Progress in Neurobiology, 2022; 219: 102370
DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2022.102370

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Screen Time Boosts Wellbeing in Teenagers!

Screen Time Boosts Wellbeing in Teenagers!

by | 2022 Nov 8 | Public, Quick Hits

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Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

screen time teenager

That may sound contradictory advice considering the large worries about teenagers being glued to their screens – this is generally seen as a negative aspect of modern youth. It could also sound like feeding a teenager’s addiction to all sorts of “useless” social media.

However, a new piece of research just published shows how important this is to teenagers and that being disconnected from the virtual world is much worse than being connected!

Keith Hampton is a professor in the Department of Media and Information and director of academic research in the Quello Center of Michigan State University. He has studied disconnection in adolescence – how teenagers respond to being disconnected from the virtual world.

This particular study surveyed 3’258 teenagers in rural communities in the USA – these are communities that may have very limited or poor internet access due to a variety of reasons. This in effect serves as control group to children who cannot get access to the internet. Whereas some adults may find it a godsend to be disconnected this does not apply to teenagers Hampton’s work shows.

In this study Hampton and Shin measured self-esteem and whether the teenagers were disconnected voluntarily or though restrictions from their parents with some surprising results.

First off, the biggest predictor of having low self-esteem was simply being male or female with girls showing significantly lower self-esteem. The stresses and toll of adolescence on young girls has been well-researched – but worth noting nevertheless. The next largest determinant, for boys and girls, was academic performance. So far this is well known.

But then we come to disconnection: the next highest factor for self-esteem was disconnection. Those who were disconnected, either through their lack of infrastructure, or their parents limitations, had lower self-esteem. This was not affected by the amount of time spent on screen with even those excessive users having higher self-esteem on average than those who were disconnected.

Why so?

Hampton says, “Isolation doesn’t come from being online, it comes from being disconnected from those sources of entertainment and socialization that permeate teens’ lives,” Social media is such an important part of teen’s lives – how they get information, what they like and share, and how they create connections with others that being disconnected causes isolation.

What was also surprising is that high social media usage correlated with more socialising in-person. Yes, you read that corectly: each hour spent on social media correlated to 21 minutes spent with family or friends. So excessive social media users were generally also spending more time with in-person socialising!

So, this view that excessive screen time is rotting our children’s brain is simply wrong, and that screen time is the cause of mental health problems is also wrong. Hampton does note that there are clear risks online from online bullying and dodgy content – so caution does need to be taken. But restricting children’s online time seems to backfire having a larger negative impact on children.

This means that the best approach for parents or educators is to focus on enabling young adults and children to manage the risks – but also take an interest in what they’re doing online….and still spend time together.

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Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Keith N. Hampton, Inyoung Shin. 
Disconnection More Problematic for Adolescent Self-Esteem than Heavy Social Media Use: Evidence from Access Inequalities and Restrictive Media Parenting in Rural America. 
Social Science Computer Review, 2022; 089443932211174
DOI: 10.1177/08944393221117466

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Taking Photographs of Slides Improves Memory of Presentations

Taking Photographs of Slides Improves Memory of Presentations

by | 2022 Nov 7 | Public, Quick Hits

Quick Hits
Daily brief research updates from the cognitive sciences

learning memory lecture

This is a thing in the modern age. And something many of us have noticed at conferees or when giving talks, and likely also done (I have and do). A particularly insightful slide will generate a flurry of people pulling out their phones and snapping a picture.

Whether this will ever be looked at again is another question – but not only that some research has shown that taking pictures seems to reduce memory. Presumably because it seems to offload the need to process the information.

This research has been done in real life scenarios such as visiting an art gallery but now researchers at the University of California looked specifically at presentation on computers – in itself a pretty good real-life scenario with more and more presentations being held online or virtually.

108 students were recruited by Annie Ditta et al. and given different instructions for taking photographs of slides. Either even numbered slides or odd numbered or as they saw fit or replicating other students. And what did they find?

Somewhat surprisingly they found that taking photographs of slides increased memory for these slides – somewhat surprising in my mind because firstly it was a lot of slides they took pictures of and, secondly, because most people had been assigned to groups that has to take pictures of specific slides irrespective of content (not just slides they found interesting or important).

What they also found is that memory of complementary verbal information also increased with those slides photographed. This is all quite surprising – it could be that because the participants had been primed to specific slides and hence paid more attention – however no patterns seemed to emerge with those taking pictures as they saw fit also increasing memory.

However, before you get too enthusiastic previous research has shown that good ‘ole fashioned note-taking is more effective. Annie Ditta plans to do more research to find out the mechanisms. But for now, it is good to know that taking photographs of slides does seem to increase memory – but taking notes might be an even better bet.

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Andy Habermacher

Andy Habermacher

Andy is author of leading brains Review, Neuroleadership, and multiple other books. He has been intensively involved in writing and research into neuroleadership and is considered one of Europe’s leading experts. He is also a well-known public speaker, speaking on the brain and human behaviour.

Andy is also a masters athlete (middle distance running) and competes regularly at international competitions (and holds a few national records in his age category).

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References

Annie S. Ditta, Julia S. Soares, Benjamin C. Storm. 
What happens to memory for lecture content when students take photos of the lecture slides? 
Journal of Applied Research in Memory and Cognition, 2022
DOI: 10.1037/mac0000069

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