Stress found to influence brain networks and reduce self-control [MedicalNewsToday.com]

After a stressful day of work, good intentions concerning dieting and exercise can quickly go out the window. Now, a new study from researchers at the University of ZÜrich in Switzerland has demonstrated how stress can influence regions of the brain involved with self-control.

Their findings, published in Neuron, shed further light on how stress and self-control interact in the human brain, with the effects of stress operating through multiple neural pathways, according to lead author Silvia Maier, a PhD candidate in neuroeconomics.

"Self-control abilities are sensitive to perturbations at several points within this network," she explains, "and optimal self-control requires a precise balance of input from multiple brain regions rather than a simple on/off switch."

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