Your behavior today could affect your brain activity in two weeks' time, new research suggests. These findings have significant implications for our mental health as well as our attention, cognition and memory.
"The effect of your daily choices is not only reflected in today's brain connectivity," Ana Triana, a researcher at Aalto University in Finland and the study's lead author, told Newsweek. "Consistently making healthy choices in their daily lives can have a long-lasting positive effect on their mental health. These habits directly influence brain connectivity in regions associated with attention, memory, and cognitive function."
Our behavior and our brains are intimately linked. And yet, the majority of studies only take a snapshot of our lived experience. "We know little about the response of brain functional connectivity to environmental, physiological, and behavioral changes on different timescales, from days to months," Triana said.
To investigate these effects, Triana and colleagues from Aalto University and the University of Oulu tracked their own brain activity and behavior over a five-month period using a combination of brain scans, wearable devices and their smartphones.
"We studied their brain activity using fMRI [functional magnetic resonance imaging], their sleep and physical activity patterns using a smartring, their heart and respiration rates using a smartwatch, and their mood using questionnaires prompted on their smartphone," Triana said.
"We instructed the person to continue with their life as they pleased, avoiding to think too much about the experiment. The combination of these methods gave us a much clearer picture of how daily habits shape brain function than brain scans alone."
She added: "The use of wearable technology was crucial. Brain scans are useful tools, but a snapshot of someone lying still for half an hour can only show so much. Our brains do not work in isolation."
Triana's brain was scanned twice a week, followed by qualitative data from mood surveys. Their findings have been published in the journal PLOS Biology.
The team identified two distinct brain patterns in response to specific behaviors: a short-term wave lasting less than a week and a long-term wave lasting up to 15 days.
The short-term wave was reflective of rapid responses to a behavior, like struggling to focus after a poor night's sleep. Meanwhile, the long-term wave suggests more gradual, lasting effects of a particular behavior. These were particularly apparent in areas of the brain tied to attention and memory.
In other words, a workout or restless night from two weeks ago could still be affecting you—positively or negatively—today.
While this study only shows the brain activity of one individual, the researchers hope that it demonstrates the importance of studying brain activity in the context of our wider lifestyle and behavior, rather than a single snapshot in the lab.
"This research is important because it provides a more comprehensive and dynamic view of brain function, highlighting the lasting impact of everyday habits on brain health," Triana said.
"This also helps us to provide a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how brain connectivity fluctuates in response to various internal and external factors, underscoring its remarkable adaptability to daily life."
The findings may also provide vital insights for studying mental-health problems in patients. "Linking brain activity with physiological and environmental data could revolutionize personalized healthcare, opening doors for earlier interventions and better outcomes," Triana said.
But what does this mean for you? "Since this is an individual study, the findings might not be too generalizable," Triana said.
"Nevertheless, I would say: take care of your daily routines! Consistent healthy habits, particularly those related to sleep, physical activity, and stress management, are crucial, and their effects on the brain extend far beyond the immediate aftermath of a single good night's rest or workout. So, it is not only about the big week, but also the weeks before the big week.
"By making conscious choices that support our physical and mental well-being, we not only reap immediate benefits, but also contribute to a more resilient and efficiently functioning brain in the long run, at least in terms of days and weeks."
Is there a health problem that's worrying you? Let us know via health@newsweek.com. We can ask experts for advice, and your story could be featured in Newsweek.
References
Triana, A. M., Salmi, J., Hayward, N. M. E. A., Saramäki, J., & Glerean, E. (2024). Longitudinal single-subject neuroimaging study reveals effects of daily environmental, physiological, and lifestyle factors on functional brain connectivity. PLOS Biology. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002797
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
