Research shows that people's brains shrink after living in Antarctica for a long time

Does long-term living in a cold, uninhabited Antarctica affect the human brain? According to a German study, the brain shrinks by an average of 7%, which weakens the ability to learn, remember and interact with people However, the effect is reversible Researchers from sharit Medical College in Berlin, together with other universities, took nine members of the scientific research station neumer III in Antarctica of Germany as research objects Before and after their scientific examination, the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factors in the brain of the members was detected by magnetic resonance imaging and other technologies to assess their cognitive function The researchers found that compared with the same-sex peers in Germany, the brain of the examinees after living in Antarctica for 14 months shrank by an average of 7%, and the volume of the hippocampus related to learning and memory shrank more Compared with the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor before the examination, the level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor decreased by 45% on average, and was still at a low level one and a half months after the examination Brain derived neurotrophic factors can help maintain the normal operation of neurons and their connections in the hippocampus In the latest issue of the New England Journal of medicine, the researchers wrote that the brain changes of the examinees may be related to their long-term isolation from the world and monotonous environment in the Antarctic, so the brain makes a "use in, waste out" response Researchers are now working on ways to prevent the brain from shrinking in this environment, considering interventions such as special exercises and virtual reality technology According to interesting science website, changes in the long-term monotonous environment of hippocampus can be adjusted by increasing stimulation, such as increasing social interaction