Posted Sep 23, 2022, 6:03 AM
We wondered why Rodin’s thinker looked so exhausted. We now have some answers (Current Biology, August 2022): because sitting for hours thinking “fouls” the brain. According to the authors, overwork causes the accumulation of potentially toxic by-products, such as glutamate, in the prefrontal cortex. It is therefore a functional alteration, which modifies our control over our decisions and pushes us to favor actions that are less costly for the brain. Mental fatigue would therefore not be a mere figment of the mind but a real warning signal aimed at preserving the integrity of our brain functioning, assures Mathias Pessiglione, co-author and researcher at the ICM in Paris. The advice of the researchers: sleep well, which “cleans” neurons and synapses. And avoid making important decisions after a few hours of intense mental work.
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