Take that T break - it's good for your brain
January 31st 2010 14:59
Signature Tune
From: BootswebMD
Taking a break to relax helps your brain absorb information
By Jennifer Warner
WebMD Medical Reference
27th January 2010 — Taking a tea break or putting your feet up with a cup of coffee may be just the thing your brain needs to digest new information and improve memory.
Researchers in New York, famed as the “city that never sleeps”, say that resting while awake helps consolidate memories and improves memory recall – much like getting a good night’s sleep has been shown to do.
"Taking a coffee break after class can actually help you retain that information you just learned," researcher Dr Lila Davachi assistant professor of psychology at New York University, says in a news release. "Your brain wants you to tune out other tasks so you can tune in to what you just learned."
Researchers found that activity between the hippocampus and neocortex – two key brain areas involved in memory and processing – increased during periods of wakeful rest after a learning task. This increase in activity was also associated with improved memory.
"Your brain is working for you when you're resting, so rest is important for memory and cognitive function," says Dr Davachi. "This is something we don't appreciate much, especially when today's information technologies keep us working around the clock."
Resting revs up memory
In the study, published in Neuron, 16 adults were shown pairs of images followed by periods of wakeful rest. The participants were not told that their memory of these images would be tested later, but they were told to relax and think about whatever they wanted during the rest period.
Meanwhile, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure brain activity before, during and after the tests.
The results showed that there was an increase in brain activity between the hippocampus and neocortex while the participants were shown the images and during the rest period.
In addition, those participants who had greater increases in activity between these two areas while resting and seeing the images performed better on associative memory tests than those who had weaker responses.
Researchers say many studies in humans as well as rodents have demonstrated that sleep performs an important role in memory consolidation. However, these results suggest that sleep may not be the only time the day’s experiences are strengthened in memory. Wakeful rest periods, such as coffee breaks or meditation, may also help improve memory.
Not a bad reason for putting your feet up for a nice cuppa and a slice of cake.
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