Examined Constantly employed people have better cognitive abilities

Constant stress and a lot of work could in some way train our brains
Some people are generally under a lot of stress. These include, for example, single mothers, on-call doctors and emergency physicians. But the hectic lifestyle actually brings some benefits. Researchers have now found that hectic and stressful everyday life is good for our brains. People who are under a lot of stress and always have a lot to do showed the best results in cognitive tests.

Usually it is said that a stressful everyday life damages our health. But scientists from the University of Texas have now discovered that stress and activity in our everyday lives boost our brains. People who are under constant stress at work or at home, always have something to do and are very active, have achieved the best results in cognitive tests. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience".

Stress or too much work in the office can sometimes put you in a good mood. But a busy life can also have benefits for us. At least our cognitive skills are trained through constant tasks. Especially in old age, our brain benefits especially from it. (Image: Gina Sanders / fotolia.com)

Study investigates more than 300 elderly subjects on their cognitive functions
The researchers had studied more than 300 people between the ages of 50 and 89 for their study. They paid particular attention to cognitive functions, including memory, thinking and mental speed, explains lead author Sara Festini of the University of Texas. The subjects had to answer questionnaires about their activity and their activities. Many people tend to classify constant employment as stress, say the doctors. Such people often complain that they have so much to do. Chronic stressed people stress their body with stress hormones, which can be unhealthy in the long run, adds Festini.

Continuous completion of tasks could be training for the brain
In the cognitive tests, the physicians actually expected that stressed and and busy people can concentrate worse because they still have so many other things in mind. Surprisingly, the tests were better in the busy subjects than in the less active participants, the researchers say. We were very surprised by these results, says Denise Park of the University of Texas. The busier man normally is, the higher the test results achieved. It is possible that the continuous fulfillment of tasks in the professional life acts like a kind of training for our brain and thus improves the mental abilities, the experts assume. The differences in the test results were particularly pronounced in older subjects, adds Park.

Coping with severe mental tasks improves certain cognitive functions
Earlier research had already shown that mental and physical effort helps to reduce the risk of dementia in old age. In addition, the new findings show that coping with difficult mental tasks seems to improve certain cognitive functions, Park says. However, we should understand that chronically stressed or overburdened people can have a negative impact on their health. The study is one of the few that deals with busyness and its impact on our health, explains Park. Although a busy life has a positive impact on our cognitive abilities, such a stressful lifestyle may have less positive consequences for our heart and metabolism, Park suggests. Now further research is needed to investigate these relationships in more detail. (As)