Brain

Stress may cause brain shrinkage Latest research
Published: January 19. 2012 4:00AM PST
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If you’re stressed out from a divorce, a hard day at work or a fight with your girlfriend, it might be causing your brain to shrink.

A study by Yale University researchers found that stressful life events can reduce gray matter in regions of the brain that regulate emotion and important physiological functions in healthy people.

The researchers looked at MRIs of more than 100 healthy people.

Researchers at University of Michigan have found that acupuncture alters the way the brain manages long-term pain regulation. The study suggests that the procedure increases the brain’s ability to bind pain-killing opioid drugs.