Neurobiologists from Radbaud University in the Netherlands have found out that unhappiness and difficult mental experiences permanently change the way the brain works. And that connection is always clear.
About 170 people took part in the study – it was a special group of people whose data was collected throughout their lives. Special attention was paid to psychological traumas suffered, including accidents, abuse, complications during childbirth, and others.
Neuroscientists studied the brain structure of the subjects – at age 25 and at age 33. Then, with the help of artificial intelligence, clear links were found between the traumas suffered and patterns in brain structure. “And these links are very stable. We found them at both ages. Now with our results we can predict how the brain reacts to adversity” – noted researcher Natalie Holtz.
