Volume 10│Issue 3│October 2019 Carilion Medical Center, 1906 Belleview Ave, Roanoke, VA 24014 http://chsweb.carilion.com/nursserv/NursW eb.html nursingresearch@carilionclinic.org (540)266 -6216
Do you have the brain power to Fall into Research? Monica Coles, DNP, RN-BC, ACNS-BC, CDP - CRMH Nursing Professional Practice, Member Carilion Nursing Editorial Board It is that time of the year when we fall back in time, a time for leaf senescence, fruit-ripening, bird and insect migration, and induction of hibernation and dia-pause. It is a time when we plan lessons for back to school, explore the differences between sweet corn, field corn, and Indian corn, take hayrides, drive across the parkway to see the changing leaves, make pumpkin rolls and Halloween costumes, ponder about what we are thankful for, and prepare our Thanksgiving menu. Have you ever had cause to wonder what effect, if any, the Fall or any other season has on brain activity? Do you think there might be a correlation to certain times of the day with having the ability to think more clearly? Results of research conducted at Sunnybrook Health Science Center at the University of Toronto suggest Fall is the season when our brains do their best work 1. Over the course of a year, the reasoning and concentration of 3,353 participants was tested throughout Canada, France and the U.S. The findings designated late summer and early fall, as times when memory is enhanced, allowing for clearer focus, improved thinking skills, and better concentration, all of which lead to greater productivity, whereas cooler months can cause inactivity1. While there is no rationale about why we work better in warmer months, previous research revealed serotonin levels fluctuate with the seasons, as do some brain proteins that are involved in learning1. A study conducted in Belgium in 2016 discovered the performance of like cognitive tasks differed depending on the season2. Brain functioning was measured during all four seasons. Participants would spend four-and-a-half days in a lab safeguarded from weather conditions and sunlight. They then had their brains scanned while performing certain cognitive task requiring focus, as well as another memory-based task. While their scores were the same throughout, their focus in the fall was greater than their focus in the winter 2. Productivity can also be affected by time of day1. As research suggests, we perform at our highest level of productivity in the late morning when our body temperatures start to rise. Our attentiveness, and remembrance increase gradually after waking up and most people become preoccupied from noon until 4 p.m., according to researchers at Pennsylvania State University3. This study also found our concentration starts to diminish after eating a meal, so we get tired around 2 p.m. With this revelation, take in the evolution of fall beauty and allow the relaxation and “good mood” area in the brain (the medial orbitofrontal cortex) to activate your thoughts and ideas, and Fall into research. *References available on page 3
~ Monica
Carilion Clinic Roanoke Campus