Spring Break
The Daily OrangeLecturer discusses stress' relationship with body, mind
By Paul Squire
Posted: 4/3/08, 11:41 PM EST Section: News
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McEwen, a professor of neuroscience at Rockefeller University, noted that since Americans get less sleep on average than they used to, the obesity epidemic has grown worse.
"We are getting less sleep, and perhaps we are paying a price," he said.
McEwen was the guest speaker at the sixth annual Center for Health and Behavior lecture held Thursday. He talked about the study of stress and its effect on brain chemistry and structure to a filled auditorium.
McEwen spent much of the lecture describing the interactions in stress hormones with the brain. As levels of the hormone cortisol increase, he said, so does the brain's stress response.
This response can lead to physical changes in brain structure and increased risk of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and psychological disorders.
Chronic exposure to what McEwen calls "toxic stress" can result in permanent behavioral changes in test animals. These animals, he said, become more fearful, more aggressive, more depressed and suffer from attention impairments.
But these results are seen after repeated exposure to harmful stress from a young age. Stress can be managed, and complications are not permanent, he said.
McEwen described how changes in brain patterns observed in students studying for an exam disappeared after a month-long vacation from school. "(This) gives us some hope that at least the young brain is flexible," he said.
He ended his lecture by explaining a number of ways to prevent chronic stress from causing problems. Pharmaceuticals exist to reduce stress hormones, but they are most useful in specific situations and may lead to further medical complications that only cause more problems, McEwen said.
For a more natural cure for stress, McEwen recommends exercise. "Exercise," he said, "is the one that everybody would say is universally important."
One study McEwen quoted found that social interaction also lowers stress levels. Those who had three or more "social ties" had considerably less stress hormones than those with one or no ties.
Senior citizens who volunteered at elementary schools also had lower stress levels. McEwen said this may have been caused by a newfound "meaning and purpose in life," but that "has not been defined in biological terms just yet."
McEwen summarized his talk by stating the brain is the key organ of stress, which constantly adapts, changes and reacts to the surrounding social environment.
When asked at the end of the lecture how he handles his own stress, McEwen smiled and clicked the next slide to show a picture of him and his dog, which drew laughs from the audience. "He's one of my advisers telling me not to take life too seriously," he said.
pjsquire@syr.edu
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