During intensive cognitive work over several hours, glutamate accumulates in part of the brain, writes a French research team in the journal Current Biology.
The neurotransmitter glutamate accumulates in the area of the brain known as the prefrontal cortex. This area is active when people are planning something or solving complex problems. The accumulation of glutamate causes cognitive fatigue, leading one to engage in more relaxed activities that don’t require effort. According to the researchers, the results show that mental work leads to a functional change in the brain. Tiredness is a means to an end because it causes people to take a break. For their study, the researchers used special techniques that made it possible to monitor the concentrations of specific molecules in the brain several times a day. Result: At the end of the day, the demanding cognitive effort resulted in a higher concentration of glutamate in the named brain region than the light cognitive work.
Source: Nachrichten
