Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

[JohnSmith]

Hi, I have a few question which I can't seem to find any useful information on. So, if you can please help me, that would be awesome!

Here are my questions:

What would happen if someone decided to start studying (anything and everything - things like computer programming, mathematics, etc) all day long and everyday for several months/years? What would this do to the brain, etc?

Furthermore, does anyone know what kind of effects such studying has on cognitive deficits (or learning disabilities)? Does it help (like a cure)?

Please feel free to post your thoughts, opinions, links, scientific studies, etc... Thank you!

PS: These questions might interest some of you, so if I find something interesting, I'll post it on here.

[xor]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

Google is your friend.

As far as the brain goes, use it or lose it. Older people who socialized more were less likely to get dementia. I'm not sure about this one but I believe if you receive a brain injury first aid can include a cup of caffeinated coffee. Everything in moderation, anything to the extreme is most likely bad for you. Just some fun facts I've picked up over the years.

These questions would get better answered at a psychological site or WebMD.

xor

The human body was made to heal itself. It does a fantastic job at doing just that, perhaps too good.

[Voltage Spike]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

I think you would be a total mess. There are two studies I recall (although I don't have citations handy). The first was that researches who drank beer were more prolific publishers with a possible implication being that downtime is beneficial for creativity and/or analysis. The other, recently recalled, study was that correlating extended video game sessions with a decreased, short-term ability to concentrate.

I think, as with almost everything, moderation is the key.

[Skylark]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

It's sort of ridiculous to even think about. If you did nothing all day but study (and, I assume, eat), not only would you end up tremendously fat, but your brain would burn out. You can only concentrate so hard for so long before you can't take it anymore. There's a reason they tell you to take breaks when you're studying in school. Your learning efficiency would plummet and ultimately you'd only be wasting your time and annoying yourself. Exercise, by the way, helps you study better, so depriving yourself of that will hurt you too.

As to what it would physically do to the brain, I'm not sure, but after years of it you'd probably prune out a lot of the neurons you need to do anything else but study, which just doesn't sound healthy. Congratulations, now you're great at studying! ...And you suck at everything else.

Cognitive deficits and learning disabilities are a HUGE area and there are dozens of different conditions that fall under these blanket terms. Seeing as studying with that insane amount of intensity for that long is usually *bad* for the brain, however, I sincerely doubt it could *help* most (or any) mental issues. Trying to use studying to "cure" mental conditions sounds like behavioral therapy, so you might look up behavior modification or applied behavior analysis on wikipedia if you want to learn more.

I don't have any specific studies to link to, but I'm in training to be a psych nurse, so that has to count for something I guess.

</2cents>

[streaker69]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

Google is your friend.

As far as the brain goes, use it or lose it. Older people who socialized more were less likely to get dementia.

I do believe this to be true.

Both of my grandfathers were very technically oriented, one was into electronics the other into mechanical stuff. They lived to 87 and 92, and their minds were still very sharp up until their bodies gave out on them. I strongly believe that because they kept their minds sharp they avoided the whole old age, dementia thing.

[meethade]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

Practice makes perfect, but I don't know if it cures anything. There's certainly nothing wrong with studying a subject you're interested in.

[faye]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

Well first, you might not learn as much as you think. I've read somewhere that the human brain can only absorb 30 minutes worth of learning before the rest starts going out the window.

Also, I think you'd be really stressed out, both mentally and physically...I bet your massage therapist would chew you out.

[Ne0nRa1n]

Re: Effects of Prolonged Studying on the Brain

It's sort of ridiculous to even think about. If you did nothing all day but study (and, I assume, eat), not only would you end up tremendously fat, but your brain would burn out. You can only concentrate so hard for so long before you can't take it anymore.

I agree with this. Such an experiment would not be an easy to do so because people just don't have that kind of focus - so any answers you get this questions are really going to be educated guesses anyway.

As to your question about what kind of effects studying has on cognitive deficits it all depends on what types of studying you are talking about. There are many different ways to learn and to get around symptoms but there is a huge world of difference between something that helps and something that 'cures'.