Shrinkage? Religious experiences may reduce size of brain part, study finds

[rug]

05/16/2012

While skeptics, hotheads and Internet flamers like to say religious people are narrow minded, a study by Duke University Medical Center researchers finds there may be a sliver of truth to that: certain religious experiences and beliefs actually shrink part of the brain.

To be clear, the brain bit in question, the hippocampus, shrinks in all humans as we age. That’s the part of the organ involved in learning and memory, and shrinkage of it has been linked to depression and Alzheimer’s disease.

Duke found that that Protestants who did not identify themselves as born-again had less atrophy — meaning shrinkitude — in the hippocampus region than did born-again Protestants, Catholics, or those having no religious affiliation.

That may reflect potential stress associated with being a member of a religious minority. Of course, religious factors have been associated with positive mental health. But studies have shown members of religious minority groups may also experience stressors related to these group affiliations.

http://blogs.star-telegram.com/investigations/2012/05/this-is-your-brain-could-this-be-your-brain-on-religion-participants-in-a-duke-university-medical-center-study-who.html

Here's the report: "Religious Factors and Hippocampal Atrophy in Late Life"

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0017006

[Ezlivin]

1. Religion allows you to rewire your brain

It's not surprising to see structural alterations.

I wonder if this holds true for any organized belief system apart from religion?

[siligut]

2. This explains why Rmoney can't remember his bullying

And his flip-flopping, he doesn't actually know what he said/thought last week/month/year.

Being facetious about Mitt, but because MRIs were preformed over time, I would believe that factors related to religiosity do have a physical effect on the brain.

[laconicsax]

4. Actually, that's better explained by him simply being a lying sack of shit. n/t

[2on2u]

3. Shrinkage