Scientists: Religious man leads to rapid brain atrophy
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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The volume of the brain of any person decreases with time, but for those whose life is changed by religion, the hippocampus shrinks more strongly. Atrophy of the hippocampus also occurs in connection with depression and Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers from the University of Duke (USA) interviewed 268 people aged 58-84 years for membership in a particular faith, spiritual practice and religious experience. Then changes in their hippocampus were monitored by MRI for two to eight years.
Regardless of religious affiliation, people who do not consider themselves born again, with age, experience a weaker atrophy of the hippocampus compared to the truly converted Protestants, Catholics or domestic believers. Age, education, social support from friends and family, depression, brain size - all this did not leave a mark on the results of the study. In addition, a variety of religious practice plays no role, whether it be prayer, meditation or Bible study.
"A number of studies have shown that for many believers, religion is the way to improve health in later life, but it seems that this is not true for everyone," says co-author David Hayward.
Scientists believe that a certain role in the atrophy of the hippocampus in believers is stress. "Our interpretation is this: when you feel that your beliefs and values are contrary to the interests of society as a whole, you are somehow in a state of stress, and this affects the brain," says another co-author Amy Owen.
"Other studies have shown that spiritual experience becomes comforting or stressful depending on whether it fits into the beliefs of others," Mr. Hayward adds. "This has a particularly strong effect on the elderly."
Experts, however, warn that they do not understand the mechanics of the effect of stress on brain atrophy very well. But even if the interpretation is wrong, this is in its way the first study that tried to link the volume of a certain area of the brain with religion.
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