Found the mechanism of blocking unwanted thoughts
Scientists from Cambridge University have found a connection in the center of the “memory” of the brain, which allows a person to suppress unwanted thoughts. The discovery will help people with depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The study is published in Nature Communications.
“When this mechanism starts to malfunction, people can begin to overcome obsessive thoughts, bad memories and hallucinations,” said study author Michael Anderson.
To determine the mechanism of the blocking thoughts, the study authors suggested that the group volunteers to play a game “Think/Not think.” The participants were required to learn to associate a series of words paired, but not connected words. After this, subjects had to respond to red or green signals. If the signal was green, it was assumed that the participants will remember the corresponding word if the signal was red, subjects were asked to stop the process.
During the experiment, the researchers watched for chemical changes in the brain of volunteers by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (Mr).
The researchers found that inhibiting thoughts man helps gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a major brake neurotransmitter of the Central nervous system. Researchers found that participants who have observed the highest concentrations of GABA in the hippocampus (the memory center), it is best to cope with unwanted thoughts or memories.
“The results show that increasing the activity of GABA in the hippocampus, it is possible to help people block unwanted and Intrusive thoughts. This will allow on-new to treat a number of ailments, from PTSD to schizophrenia,” concluded Anderson.