Scientists Are Exploring The Human Cerebral Cortex

Scientists Are Exploring The Human Cerebral Cortex.
Higher levels of self-professed sacred persuasion appear to be reflected in increased thickness of a explication brain area, a late study finds. Researchers at Columbia University in New York City found that the outer layer of the brain, known as the cortex, is thicker in some areas mid community who place a lot of significance on religion quitsmoking. The cram involved 103 adults between the ages of 18 and 54 who were the children and grandchildren of both depressed meditate on participants and those who were not depressed.

A pair led by Lisa Miller analyzed how often the participants went to church and the status of importance they placed on religion. This assessment was made twice over the advance of five years generic. Using MRI technology, the cortical thickness of the participants' brains was also rhythmic once.

The study, published Dec 25, 2013 in JAMA Psychiatry, revealed the portent of doctrine or spirituality was linked with thicker cortices in unfailing parts of the brain. The objective was stronger among those at high genetic risk for depression than those at abase risk nav puresh fat teblet. This was particularly evident in a part of the brain where a thinner cortex may be linked with a familial chance for developing depression, the researchers noted.

Although the prominence of religion was tied with thicker cortices in some parts of the brain, the work showed the frequency of church attendance did not have the same association. This was staunch regardless of the participants' genetic peril for depression vagina. The findings only show an association between cortical thickness and pious belief "and therefore do not prove a causal association," the study authors stressed.