Study shows how mental stress impairs the brain

Scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology have found how stress causes us to make risky decisions, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

The study found stress causes mental confusion between choices that may or may not be rewarding and that it can last for months.

For example, Researchers founds a lower-paid position with the benefits of having more free time may not be as appealing when an individual is under mental strain.

In an experiment, rats and mice who experienced high stress levels were more likely to choose the dangerous choice with a bigger reward.

It was at this point, researchers "identified impairments of a specific brain circuit underlying this abnormal decision making - and restored normal behaviour by manipulating it", the Daily Mail reported. Researchers explain it lies in an area that involves planning and decision making, called the striatum, which is also linked to action and reward.

"One exciting thing is by doing this very basic science, we found a microcircuit of neurons in the striatum we could manipulate to reverse the effects of stress on this type of decision making," senior author Professor Ann Graybiel, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told the Daily Mail. Adding, "This to us is extremely promising, but we are aware that so far these experiments are in rats and mice."

Researchers are hopeful their findings could lead to new methods of treating anxiety and depression and reduce the effects of stress to help people make better decisions.

The study was originally published in the journal Cell.