Improving overall cognitive function may help to reduce anxiety , says a new study. The proportion of the brain known as the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, involved in planning, thinking and decision making. It turned out that the increase in brain activity in this partition is associated with a reduction of anxiety. People at increased risk of developing an anxiety disorder were less likely to develop it when they exercised those areas of the brain that are associated with complex mental operations.
Training memory and brain, along with psychological therapy can help to enhance activity in these key areas. Prof. Hariri, lead scientist of the study, explains: "Our results help support the strategy to improve the emotional functioning in individuals - their mood, their anxiety, depression test. And not only by direct treatment of the problems, but also through indirect general improvement in cognitive function of man. "
Besides its important role in planning, thinking and decision-making dorsolateral prefrontal cortex involved in human emotions. "We wanted to focus on the area of understanding of mental illness, which so far has been neglected and it turned out the opposite side of the coin. In fact, we looked for factors that ensure stability and to protect individuals from developing problems. "
For the purposes of the study 120 people were scanned while performing tasks that were designed to activate special units of their brain . "Surprisingly, it turned out that when there is no active functioning dorsolateral prefrontal cortex imbalance in brain structures not manifested as changes in mood or anxiety. We hope to be able to improve this situation with the treatment of mental illness as the first able to predict with high accuracy which people are exposed to greater risk, and then, as we can not predict who will have the most benefit from any therapy ".
Source: Bright Side
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