It appears that finding ways to manage your emotions after a stressful event can help limit neurodegeneration and slow down brain aging. In a new study published in the journal Nature Aging, researchers at the University of Geneva examined the brains of both young and older adults after being confronted with the psychological suffering of others. With older adults in particular, they found altered neuronal connections in regions of the brain involved in managing emotions and autobiographical memory. The neuroscientists contend that better management of negative emotions, such as by meditation or mindfulness training, might help slow or stop degeneration of the brain with age. In general, people who can better regulate their emotions, and change their mental states quickly, have been shown to have lower risk of depression and better mental health compared to those who stay in the same emotional state for longer periods of time.
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