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Psychology
Thinking Is Tiring
Thinking is hard work, and research from LAS indicates that the older you get, the more it drains you of energy.
Though focused on rats, a study led by psychologist Paul Gold also applies to humans. It shows that concentration drains glucose from key parts of the brain. The researcher and his colleagues found that when rats were given tasks to learn, the part of the brain they were required to use was depleted of glucose. The brains of the older rats drained glucose dramatically more rapidly than did those of younger adult rats and were slower to recover.
Glucose is a sugar that occurs naturally in the blood and fuels the brain. It is also necessary for communication between nerve cells. Scientists had believed that the brain's supply of this energy source is ample, except in cases of starvation. Gold's research challenges this convention. "The new findings suggest that glucose is not always present in amounts to optimally support learning and memory," says Gold.
Because the drop in glucose levels correlated with declines in performance in senescent rats, the results may alter scientists' understanding of how memory changes with age. It may also affect the timing and content of school lunches and snacks. In humans as in rats, a shot of glucose before some tests enhances learning and memory.
Fall 2001