Brain Scan Foretells Who Will Fold Under Pressure

Brain Scan Foretells Who Will Fold Under Pressure

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A new study finds that activity in distinct parts of the brain can predict whether a person will remain cool or crumble under pressure. The results, presented at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, offer some great new clues that may help scientists understand how the brain copes with stressful situations,

Activity in brain regions that have been linked to working memory predicted choking, according to Andrew Mattarella-Micke and Sian Beilock, both of the University of Chicago. In particular, higher activity in two regions—the intraparietal sulcus and the inferior frontal junction—meant that a person was less likely to crumble.