Scientists Are Exploring The Human Cerebral Cortex

Scientists Are Exploring The Human Cerebral Cortex.
Higher levels of self-professed non-secular dogma appear to be reflected in increased thickness of a guide brain area, a recent study finds. Researchers at Columbia University in New York City found that the outer layer of the brain, known as the cortex, is thicker in some areas to each consumers who place a lot of significance on religion site. The boning up involved 103 adults between the ages of 18 and 54 who were the children and grandchildren of both depressed go into participants and those who were not depressed.

A tandem led by Lisa Miller analyzed how often the participants went to church and the position of importance they placed on religion. This assessment was made twice over the practice of five years. Using MRI technology, the cortical thickness of the participants' brains was also majestic once.

The study, published Dec 25, 2013 in JAMA Psychiatry, revealed the implication of faith or spirituality was linked with thicker cortices in dependable parts of the brain. The purpose was stronger among those at high genetic risk for depression than those at put down risk. This was particularly evident in a part of the brain where a thinner cortex may be linked with a familial imperil for developing depression, the researchers noted.

Although the influence of religion was tied with thicker cortices in some parts of the brain, the bookwork showed the frequency of church attendance did not have the same association. This was frankly regardless of the participants' genetic danger for depression rite aid drug price list. The findings only show an association between cortical thickness and pious belief "and therefore do not prove a causal association," the study authors stressed.